


Byun And The Bun

by baeconandeggs, sohbet



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Anxiety, College, Fluff, Hybrids, Light Angst, M/M, Paranormal Romance, Shifter, Sweet, mentions of past pet death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 16:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14957942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohbet/pseuds/sohbet
Summary: AUTHOR:sohbetBaekhyun knows how to deal with rabbits, not naked men in his bedroom. Chanyeol is both.





	Byun And The Bun

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt #:** BAE239  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
>  **Author's Note:** This fic was really new and challenging for me in many ways. I hope the prompter enjoys this. Though I took a few liberties with the prompt to make the story and ages work (only the very beginning!), I tried to stay true to the original idea. Sorry in advance for the angst that snuck in. Thanks to S  & K for being the best hype squad and mods for their patience <3

———

 

“This is going to be so embarrassing.” Baekhyun scowls as he sits in the passenger seat of his mother’s car and stares out the window. “No one else is going to have a housekeeper at university.” Resting his elbow on the window ledge, he glowers at the world passing by from behind a balled fist.

 

“That’s not true,” she replies serenely. “Junmyeon had a housekeeper when he studied abroad. That’s how he did so well, because he wasn't distracted by trivial things. He was able to focus completely on his studies—and see how well he did!”

  
Baekhyun snorts under his breath. His prissy valedictorian of a cousin is not the example he wants to follow. He fidgets, rolling his shoulders to unstick his teeshirt from his back where it’s pressed against the seat. It’s hot as hell in Seoul in July and even the white leather watch on his wrist sweats, despite the strong aircon in his mother’s import car.   
  


His mother keeps driving, oblivious to both his concerns and the heat.   
  
“We worry about you, Hyunnie. Before you went to the military, you struggled a lot. We’re just making sure we’ve done everything we can to support you.”   
  
_ You could just ask me what support I want _ , Baekhyun thinks. But his parents never really listen, no matter how old he gets. They just hear what they want.   
  
“I’d be fine if I still had Mochi,” he grumbles under his breath.   
  
His mother reaches over at a red light, smoothing his unruly dark hair affectionately. He doesn’t flinch away, but he’s glad they’re alone. He’s not 5 anymore, but she’s never realized that.

  
“We all miss Mochi. How about getting a new pet?”   
  
Baekhyun rests his head against the window and stares down at his hands instead of answering the question. Where his fingers used to be fine and delicate, pianist’s fingers, after rigorous training for two years they sport calluses, and veins line his forearms. His body has changed, but his mind hasn’t. He’s not ready to put the memory of his childhood pet to bed yet and he might never be. No other pet will ever replace Mochi. 

 

It’s been more than two years but his mother still doesn’t understand. Nobody does. What if he gets a new pet and doesn’t care for it properly? What if it dies just like Mochi did, while he was overwhelmed with exams and missed all the signs?   
  
_ No _ , he thinks with a shiver, despite the thick heat.  _ I can’t _ .   
  
What he can do, however, is live his own life. If he’s old enough to go abroad for university, he should be old enough to go on his own terms—without a housekeeper. And without a replacement pet.   
  
“We’re here,” his mother says as she pulls into a parking lot.   
  
The nondescript building is set on a side street. It’s a pale faded yellow and the windows are oddly placed.  _ Definitely not a place where anyone lives _ , Baekhyun thinks. He shoves his fingertips into the pockets of his shorts and follows his mother to the second floor, scuffing his soles all the way. The place looks neglected compared to the buildings where they live. It’s not dingy or rundown, but it’s seen its time.   
  
“Soojung recommended this place to me. She said not to judge it by appearances. I can see why.” She crinkles her nose delicately, clearly judging it by appearances. Crammed next door to what looks like a pet store, the agent’s office looks timeworn, from the rust on the hinges to the old fashioned nameplate.  _ Lee Soo Man,  _ it reads,  _ Service Agent. _   
  
An older man comes to the door and introduces himself, ushering Baekhyun and his mother inside.   
  
“Please pardon the mess,” says Mr. Lee as he busies himself clearing a second chair in the small cluttered office. “Can I get you something to drink? Water? Tea?”   
  
“Tea would be lovely, thank you,” his mother agrees, fanning her neck with one hand. The aircon is either broken or too weak for the weather. Baekhyun feels a drop of sweat slide down his spine. Once his mother is settled, he sits but doesn’t lean back; the chair is upholstered in a plastic material and he's pretty sure he’ll have to peel himself off.

  
The agents sticks his head through the door and calls out to someone before shuffling back inside and sitting on the other side of the desk. His mother launches into conversation, eager to get down to business.

  
“Mr. Lee, I’m here on recommendation from my sister, she said she was very pleased with your services when she needed a housekeeper for her son.”   
  
“Ahh yes, Soojung gave us a great a review,” the service agent says humbly. “I’m honored she passed along the word, it’s the only way a business like mine survives. It is fortunate Yixing turned out to be a great fit for your nephew, Junmyeon. Are you looking for someone for next year?”   
  
“Ah, well, not next year, no. Next month.” 

 

Baekhyun side-eyes his mother as Mr. Lee blinks. 

 

“In a few weeks, in fact,” she adds. “Will that be a problem?”   
  
“Is your son staying in the country or going abroad?” Mr. Lee turns to look at him.    
  
Baekhyun straightens from his slouch. “I’m going to Boston.”   
  
“Hmmm.” Mr. Lee scratches a wizened cheek, a furrow appearing between his brows. “It will be difficult to procure the visa in such a short time.”   
  
Baekhyun’s mother starts to speak but pauses as the door opens and a tall man enters with two cups on a hand tray. Rather, a tall  _ boy _ as Baekhyun gets a closer look at him. The boy bows his head and carefully offers his mother the first cup of tea and then passes the remaining one to Baekhyun.    
  
“Thank you,” Baekhyun murmurs, unable to take his eyes off the young man. He has a doe-like look, with large, dark round eyes and locks of auburn hair that fall about his eyes. His ears are round too and jut out just a bit, giving him an elven, curious appearance. The boy raises his eyes and smiles warmly at him, bobbing his head in a quick bow before slipping out.   
  
Baekhyun slowly tunes into his mother’s voice again.

 

“Mr. Lee, I’d rather not go to someone else. If it’s a matter of the hassle or rush, money is not an issue.”

  
The agent murmurs to himself behind steepled fingers with furrowed brows. “No no, it’s nothing like that...”   
  
_ Boring _ . Baekhyun tunes right back out and feels the urge to slide down out of his chair to the floor. He gulps down the tea and feels a bit less like he’s melting. He stares at the framed clippings and photos on the walls and desk, eyes glazing over. Everything about this place is old, aside from the cute guy who brought in the tea. He wonders where he went and what he’s doing hanging around this place. A summer job, maybe.

  
Though he’s sitting upright he starts to doze off from the heat. As he fights the pull at his eyelids, a photo on the agent's desk catches his eye. He stares at the image, a portrait of a mini fawn rabbit that looks just like Mochi. Without thinking he reaches out for the frame.   
  
“He’s a beauty, isn’t he?”   
  
Baekhyun blinks widely, hand shy of the frame. “Oh—“ He falters. His mother and Mr. Lee have stopped talking and are staring at him. “Yes,” he says, gaze drifting back to the photo. “I used to have one of the same breed.” A familiar pang of sadness returns at the thought of Mochi.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Lee says kindly. “You know, we have some lovely ones next door, if you’d like to take a look while your mother and I talk.”   
  
“Really?” Baekhyun sits up a bit straighter.   
  
“Sure thing. Chanyeol can show you if you go through that door.” Mr. Lee wags his chin toward the door the young man had come through.   
  
Baekhyun glances at his mother who gives him a nod.    
  
He doesn’t need to be told twice. With a quick bow of gratitude toward Mr. Lee, he’s up and out of his chair and through the side door. On the other side of it he breathes a sigh of relief. Freedom, brief but sweet. 

 

Familiar scents of household pets and supplies instantly assuage his nostrils. Glancing around, he realizes he’s in the pet store next door.

 

“Oh. Hello.” The boy from before—Chanyeol?—stands behind a high countertop, leaning on his elbows over an open book.   
  
“Hey,” Baekhyun replies with a slight smile that probably looks like a grimace. He steps away from the door and into the room. There are rows of cages, like in a pet store, but not the array of supplies that would normally accompany them. In fact there’s no merchandise, only cages and a counter.   
  
“Is this...a shelter?” Baekhyun asks, looking around as he stands in the middle of the room, dozens of eyes on him, from kittens and bunnies to small sleepy pups.   
  
“Kind of. It’s an adoption center.” The boy says. He steps out from behind the counter and pushes his fingers into his pockets, hunching his shoulders up slightly. His legs are long and lean and Baekhyun feels short beside him despite being of a fair height himself. 

 

The boy walks up to one of the cages and bends down, putting his nose right up to the cage. The rabbit inside comes up to him and bops his nose through the bars. The boy chuckles softly.   
  
Baekhyun has never been to a shelter or adoption center. He can’t understand giving up a pet. Mochi was purchased purebred from a shop. He steps closer to the cages and puts a finger to the bars, beckoning a soft black kitten closer. The green-eyed cat watches him from inside, blinking sleepily before washing a paw over its face. It wears a yellow band around its leg just like the others.   
  
“That’s Midnight. Minnie for short.” The boy says. “Do you want to play with him?”   
  
“Can I?” Baekhyun questions, smitten by the kitten’s tiny pink tongue and toe beans.   
  
“He’s 100% cat, so yeah. It’s fine.”   
  
Baekhyun pauses and eyes the boy as he carefully opens the cage.   
  
“As opposed to others...who aren’t 100%?”

  
“Some of them—“ The boy pauses as the kitten slips out of his grasp and he has to reach in deeper to scoop him up in his hands, “—are hybrids.”   
  
“Oh,” Baekhyun swallows. “I didn’t realize.”   
  
The boy closes the cage and turns to him, holding the handful of black fluff against his chest. With his free hand, he rubs the kitten’s forehead, and only then does Baekhyun notice that he looks somewhat guarded, his shoulders turn inwards a bit, and he keeps his eyes down a lot. Whether to serve tea or pet a kitten, he seems shy to meet Baekhyun’s eyes.   
  
Baekhyun clears his throat.   
  
“Do... do some of them take human forms?” He asks, suddenly feeling very conscious of all the caged creatures.   
  
“They do,” the boy says softly.   
  
“But the cages are so small...” Baekhyun breathes, unsettled.   
  
“They only stay here on rotation for visitors and appointments... there’s more space in back for them to stretch out in human form.”    
  
“Oh...” The information comes as a relief, though not by much. “Do you help them find homes?”   
  
The boy nods. “We try really hard to get them adopted young so they can grow up with a family. But there are always new strays. The breeding laws are rigid but sometimes even breeding permit-holders give up the babies. Toddlers or even teens get abandoned sometimes. We try to get them to good homes before they turn 18. Usually we succeed.”   
  
The boy hasn’t taken his eyes off the kitten even once while he speaks, hasn’t stopped stroking his head. He seems to have forgotten that he took the kitten out for Baekhyun to play with. The kitten has dozed off in the cradle of his palm, absconded by long fingers and gentle strokes. Baekhyun’s eyes drift to the boy’s arms, the soft denim of the boy’s overshirt cuffed to reveal strong, slim forearms and bony wrists, accentuated with a plastic yellow bracelet.   
  
Baekhyun inhales quickly and looks up at the boy’s face. The boy looks up, too, and his eyes widen. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I took Minnie out for you,” the boy stumbles over rushed words and embarrassment tips his ears pink as he holds out the kitten.   
  
“No—it’s okay.” Baekhyun quickly protests. “He... looks comfortable with you. It’s okay.”   
  
The boy looks unconvinced and guilty all at once.   
  
“Really, it’s fine.” Baekhyun scrubs a hand through his dark hair, feeling awkward. Hs heart is a hummingbird in his chest.

  
“Baekhyun?” His mother’s voice cuts in. “I’m done, let’s go. I have another appointment to get to.”   
  
Baekhyun swallows and glances at the boy and the cat.   
  
“I had better go.”   
  
The boy nods.   
  
“Well, uh—it was nice meeting you.”   
  
“You too,” the boy replies, hiding behind his long fringe, but Baekhyun can see a shy smile on his lips. Whether it’s for him or the kitten he’s gazing at with unbridled affection, it makes someplace deep inside Baekhyun’s stomach feel warm.

 

“How did it go?” Baekhyun asks his mother once they’re back in the car and heading homewards.   
  
“Oh, splendidly. Mr. Lee really is as good as my sister said. He came up with a great solution for our situation. I think you’ll be quite pleased.”   
  
_ Your situation, you mean. _ Baekhyun side-eyes his mother. 

 

“So I’m going to have a housekeeper?” He asks, chagrined. He’s going to be the laughingstock of the class, or he’ll look like a poncy git like Junmyeon. Neither favorable outcomes.   
  
“Yes,” she replies, pleased. “I’m so relieved. They’ll arrive in a few days to stay with us so you can get familiarized before you head to the States.”   
  
Baekhyun refrains from letting his displeasure show on his face and instead stares hard out the window, watching the city fly by. When they pull up to the house, he hops out and closes the door.   
  
“I’ll be back later, darling,” his mother says through the window. “If you see your father, let him know it’s all sorted out and the new housekeeper will come in a couple of days.   
  
Baekhyun nods mechanically and punches the code to get into the main gate. He jogs up the drive and skips going inside, instead heading out to the backyard. Tossing his rucksack down on a chaise he stares discontentedly out over the pool and pushes his fingers up into his hair. He’s annoyed, and though his anger is muted, his thoughts clamor noisily in his head. 

 

Huffing a breath, he flops back on the chaise and throws an arm over his face, calves dangling off the end. Three weeks away from finally leaving home—and yet it couldn’t feel further away. A housekeeper means a proxy of his parents. Someone lording over him, making decisions for him, and probably reporting his every move back to them. His hopes of freedom slip through his fingers like sand.   
  
Sighing heavily he sits up to strip off his teeshirt. He’s not wearing swim trunks and his mother would throw a fit if she knew he swam in his clothes. 

 

He runs at the pool and cannonballs into it with a roar of frustration.   
  


  
  
  


———

  
The housekeeper arrives two days later while Baekhyun is gaming on his computer instead of packing. It isn’t until his mother calls up to his room on the intercom that he hears her. He pulls off his headphones with a huff and storms downstairs.   
  
“They’ll be here any moment,” she says serenely as she contemplates her latest addition to the living room decor. Or maybe it’s an old vase and Baekhyun just hasn’t noticed.

  
“Okay.” He says flatly. 

 

She shoots him a cutting look.   
  
“You’re going to be living together. Try not to bring such a poor attitude with you.”   
  
Baekhyun sighs through his nose and rolls his eyes.   
  
The buzzer of the main gate rings.   
  
“I’ll get it,” he says, trying for the  _ right _ attitude.   
  
“Good.” His mother smiles and follows him out.   
  
The van that snakes up the driveway shows wear, it looks like the sort that probably has crates and a dolly stacked in the rear. As it pulls up in front of the house, Baekhyun’s mother steps out after him, the front door ajar.   
  
The driver rolls down the window.

 

“Byun residence?” 

  
“Yes, that’s right,” Baekhyun says. The man looks to his mother. “Ma’am, can you confirm the details here?” He hands out a clipboard with a few sheets of paper on it. His mother quickly scans the document.    
  
“It looks right.”   
  
“Great,” the driver says and hands her a pen. “If you don’t mind signing here to confirm.”   
  
She quickly scrawls her signature before handing it back.   
  
The driver puts the clipboard back inside before hopping out. He steps to the side door of the van and pulls the door back. He hauls out a half-full duffel. Then he says a few words to someone inside and steps back. Hands appear at the edges of the door and then a person climbs out, unfolding to full height in the noonday sun with wide eyes.    
  
Baekhyun gasps.    
  
It’s the boy from the adoption center.   
  
The boy shivers, hands wrapped around himself as he looks about nervously. He flinches violently as the van door slams loudly behind him.    
  
“This can’t be right.“ Baekhyun’s mother protests, stepping toward the boy.   
  
The boy shrinks back and lets out an anguished whimper, crumpling in on himself—and keeps going until his clothes are a heap on the driveway, nothing left of the young man who stood there a moment before.   
  
Baekhyun gawks, heart pounding, at a loss for words. Something moves under the clothes and a moment later a tiny brown rabbit darts out and races for the front door of the house, disappearing inside.   
  
“There must be some mistake!” His mother protests as the driver tries to hand her the duffel and the clothes he’s scooped off the ground. She doesn’t take them, so Baekhyun steps forward and takes them off his hands.   
  
“I’m sorry ma’am, you just confirmed that everything was correct. If you have any issues, you’ll have to reach out to the vendor. I’m just the delivery guy.”   
  
“But this is a faulty delivery!”   
  
The man lifts his shoulders and shakes his head. “The passenger was brought to you intact, we all watched him climb out of the car on his own just fine. Hybrids are tricky business, ma’am, but if that’s what you ordered, that’s what you got.” He climbs back into the driver’s seat and picks up the clipboard and squints at the delivery confirmation. “Looks like you’ve got to contact a Mr. Lee about it. Sorry I can’t be more help.”   
  
Baekhyun’s mother throws her hands up in the air. “Fine. Thank you,” she snips. “I most certainly will.”   
  
The delivery van leaves and the gate rolls shut.   
  
Baekhyun shakes his head, finally unfreezing. “I’m going to find him. He must be terrified.”   
  
“I’m going to call Mr. Lee. This is not what he promised.” His mother huffs as she heads inside and straight for her phone.    
  
Baekhyun begins searching. He curses the fact that their house is so big, with so many places a rabbit can hide. Back when Mochi got loose, it took ages to find her. But even with open doors, she never went far, so he has hope.   
  
Baekhyun scours the whole ground floor, and checks for open doors to the basement and other small spaces a rabbit could squeeze through. There’s no sign of rabbit nor boy. 

 

He takes Chanyeol’s clothes and belongings with him, and leaves a small nest of items on the ground floor in case it helps lure him out. Then he heads to the basement. He goes from room to room, checking and closing all doors once he’s certain the rabbit isn’t there.   
  
Two levels down and he still hasn’t found him. Baekhyun begins to worry. None of Mochi’s hiding spots have turned up anything yet.   
  
Finally he heads upstairs. The only doors that are open are the master bedroom and his own.    
  
_ Oh god.  _ He prays he didn’t get into his mother’s closet. No one, not even his father, would make it out alive if something was ruined in there.   
  
With trepidation, and every intention to lie even if he does find him there, Baekhyun checks every nook and cranny of the master bedroom and closet. It comes as a small relief that he doesn’t find him there.   
  
Worry mounts as he heads to his bedroom, the last place he’s not yet checked—though it’s entirely possible the rabbit has been on the move, meaning he’ll have to redo his whole search again.   
  
His bedroom is a bit on the sloppy side, clothes from a few days piled on the floor, an open suitcase in a corner, closet flung open, bedsheets a nest of disarray. The only thing that’s neat is his computer desk, where his player is frozen on-screen awaiting his return. A couple of messages blink at him, friends wondering where he went. 

 

Baekhyun gets down on his knees and looks under the bed, hoping to see a pair of eyes shining back at him.    
  
But it’s empty, save for a crumpled lump of clothes he’s kicked under by accident. He should probably put those in the laundry.   
  
“Damnit, damnit, damnit,” he curses under his breath, slumping in his chair. Where would a rabbit go in an unfamiliar house? He had Mochi for so long, and even when she got out, he knew where to look and how to lure her out.   
  
His mother’s voice interrupts his thoughts, crackling over the intercom. She must have left it on, and he gets up to turn it off, but pauses as her words filter over the system.   
  
“Mr. Lee, you told me he had control over it! How’s he going to be my son’s housekeeper or take care of him if he can’t even stay in human form?”   
  
Fuzzier, but discernible, Mr. Lee’s voice wafts over the speaker.   
  
“He does, I assure you. However rabbits are prone to nervousness, and introduced to a new environment for the first time, it’s very understandable that Chanyeol is afraid. You met him before in my office, he’s a lovely and capable young man. He’s fully domesticated in both his rabbit and human forms.”   
  
“I don’t know Mr. Lee. This is extremely disappointing. Is this why you gave me a discount?”   
  
“Not in the least. As we discussed, you had a time constraint and a work visa for a hired housekeeper would be hard to procure on short notice. You signed the adoption papers to bring Chanyeol home as a household pet. As he’s not yet of legal age, he could be adopted as a companion animal, and fly overseas with your son as his pet, instead of requiring a human visa which could take months to procure.”   
  
“Yes, I know what I agreed to,” she snaps irritably, “but how is this young man going to fulfill his duties if he’s terrified of his own shadow?”   
  
Baekhyun feels bile rising up in his throat and slams the button. He’s heard enough.    
  
He slumps to the bed and buries his face in his hands, wringing his fingers up through his hair. What on earth has his mother done?   
  
A sound catches his ear and he quickly looks up—just in time to see a flash of brown near the clothes on the floor.   
  
“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun whispers. “Is that you?” He instantly shuts the bedroom door and then drops to the floor, looking under the bed.   
  
A quivering ball of fluff peers back. Baekhyun heaves a huge sigh of relief and sprawls on the floor, stretching an arm out under the bed. “I’m so glad you’re safe. It’s okay, you can come out.”   
  
It’s a bit weird talking to a rabbit that is actually human, unlike Mochi who probably never understood a word he said—though that never stopped him from chatting with her. He tries not to babytalk the rabbit, and keeps the mental image of the young man he’d met in mind instead.

  
“I’ve got your things here... well, I left your shoes downstairs in case you were there and looking for something familiar. Uh, but I have your clothes. They’re right here.” He pats the duffel and gathers the clothes Chanyeol had been wearing before he’d involuntarily shifted. Or maybe it was voluntary. God knows his mother could be terrifying sometimes.    
  
He puts the clothes near the edge of the bed and waits for Chanyeol to come out.   
  
The rabbit doesn’t budge.   
  
Minutes stretch into to hours as Baekhyun waits, eventually rising to stretch out the kinks in his neck from craning his head to look at the rabbit under his bed. He tries to lure him out with food and talks to him as he tidies up his room. Eventually his mother calls him to dinner, but rather than eating downstairs, he brings his plate back to his room.   
  
He turns the doorknob and nearly drops the plate on the floor. A young man stands stark naked and wide-eyed in the middle of his room, clutching a wad of clothes to cover himself. Baekhyun’s mouth takes a moment to catch up with his eyes.    
  
“OhmygodI’msosorry!” He blurts out and shuts the door on his own face.   
  
_ Holy crap. _ _  
_   
Baekhyun tries to calm his racing heart as he sits on the floor outside of his door, clutching his plate. This is a good thing, he tells himself. Chanyeol’s out from under the bed, back in human form, safe and sound. Everything will be okay.

 

Except Baekhyun knows how to deal with rabbits, not naked men in his bedroom. 

 

It wasn’t that the latter was objectionable—but not like this! A flush heats his neck and he distractedly plucks a string bean off his plate and nibbles on it.

  
He stares at his bedroom door and shakes his head clear. Was that why Chanyeol hadn’t come out or shifted while he was there? Because he’d be naked? His eyes dart up as he hears the doorknob turn and he scrambles to his feet.   
  
“Chanyeol? Are you okay? I’m really sorry.”   
  
The door cracks open an inch. A brown eye peers out a head above him.   
  
“It’s okay.” The boy says, and relief washes over Baekhyun at the sound of his deep quiet voice.   
  
“Can I come in?” Baekhyun asks tentatively.   
  
“O-of course.” Chanyeol steps back from the door several paces as Baekhyun enters. He’s fully dressed and stands with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes slanted to stare at something off to the side. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he says once Baekhyun closes the door and sets his plate on the desk. “I’m so embarrassed. It was unprofessional of me. I promise it won’t happen again.” He hangs his head, soft locks of reddish caramel veiling his eyes.   
  
Baekhyun’s heart plummets.   
  
“You don’t have to apologize.” His voice comes out strained. “This must be hard for you. I’m sorry, my mother—I’ll tell her this isn’t okay. I didn’t want a housekeeper in the first place, and not like this. I’ll tell her to fix this.“   
  
“You’re going to send me back too?” Chanyeol looks up quickly, bewildered. His dark eyes are wide and glassy. “I-It was a mistake, I’m sorry–I promise it won’t happen again–I-I’ll do a good job, I swear—“ He lifts a hand to quickly swipe at his eyes, chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. He looks around quickly and drops to his knees on the floor, reaching out to gather Baekhyun’s scattered clothes. 

 

Picking up after him.   
  
Frozen, Baekhyun stares in horror.   
  
“Please don’t,” he says but Chanyeol continues.   
  
“Chanyeol. Please stop.” He pleads, dropping to kneel before the boy. He carefully reaches for Chanyeol’s hands and takes them in his own. The warmth of them hits him square in the chest—as does the tremble he feels pass through them, a continuous quiver. Like a panicking rabbit at risk of a heart attack.   
  
Chanyeol doesn’t meet his eyes but he doesn’t pull away either. His hands squeeze the shirt he’s clutching and Baekhyun rubs the outsides of his hands and wrists gently, willing the trembling to cease. He tries to soothe him the way he remembers Chanyeol doing with Midnight.   
  
“It’s okay,” Baekhyun whispers. “You don’t have to do this.”   
  
“But Mr. Lee said your mo—“   
  
“It doesn’t matter. My mother made a mistake. We can fix this.”   
  
“So you will send me back.” Chanyeol says emptily.   
  
“I—“ Baekhyun stalls. “Do you  _ want _ to be a housekeeper?”   
  
Chanyeol looks up. They’re so close, Baekhyun can see the glimmer of tears in his eyes.   
  
“I just want a chance,” Chanyeol whispers.

  
  


  
  


———

  
“You adopted an underage hybrid to be my housekeeper?” Baekhyun tries to keep his voice down but anger burns hot in his chest. “What were you  _ thinking _ ?”   
  
“Watch your tone, young man.” His mother snaps. “It seemed like the perfect solution. He’s close to your age, but experienced in taking care of others. Mr. Lee said he had excellent control over his abilities, that we wouldn’t even remember he’s a hybrid most of the time. Clearly, he exaggerated. I’m trying to find an alternative so that we can send him back.” His mother picks up her phone and begins to dial a number.   
  
Chanyeol’s haunted eyes flash through Baekhyun’s head.   
  
“No! Mom–no. You can’t send him back just like that.”   
  
“Whyever not? You aren’t happy with this either. I’ll contract someone more suitable.”   
  
Baekhyun wants to tear his hair out. Why don’t parents ever understand?   
  
“Mom, you  _ adopted _ him! It’s not a contract.”   
  
“Precisely and we’d send back a pet if it wasn’t the right fit either. Baekhyun, I really don’t understand the issue.”   
  
“He’s not a pet, and he’s not an  _ it _ ! He’s a person!”   
  
Baekhyun’s mother exhales and sits back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well what do you want to do then?”   
  
“It doesn’t matter what I want. It matters what  _ he _ wants.” 

  
“Alright, then ask him. You leave in two weeks. I’m going to find other options in case we need to send him back.” She holds up a hand as Baekhyun begins to protest. “I’m doing this for you, Baekhyun. I don’t want any more arguments. Figure it out, or I will.”

 

  
“I want to stay,” Chanyeol says instantly, resolute and bright eyed as he sits across from Baekhyun with his legs tucked under himself. He’s in better spirits after having eaten a meal—all vegetarian, which he took in Baekhyun’s room with him.

  
“My mom’s going to expect you to do stuff like cook and clean for me, though.” Baekhyun says as he polishes off his dinner.   
  
Chanyeol has already finished, having scarfed down the food. His head bobs. “I know. Mr. Lee told me.”   
  
”You’re... okay with this?”   
  
“Of course.” Chanyeol cocks his head, and copper locks fall in his eyes. “He always looks out for me.”   
  
“No I mean, you’re okay with doing housework?”   
  
Chanyeol stares at him, a small confused frown appearing at his brow. “Yes?”   
  
Baekhyun blows out a breath, unsettling his fringe. “Okay.”   
  
Chanyeol brightens. “You’re going to keep me?”   
  
“I’ll talk to my mom about that. But first, do you want a tour of the house?”   
  
Chanyeol glances around warily. “Do I have to?”   
  
“N-no…” Baekhyun blinks. “I just thought you might want to get out, look around, stretch your legs. You’ve been cooped up in my room since you got here.”   
  
Chanyeol shifts his legs closer beneath himself, and looks self-conscious. “I like it here,” he says softly. “Maybe...tomorrow?”   
  
“Sure. But at least let me show you the bathroom and guest suite.”   
  
Baekhyun leads the way through the upper level, flipping on lights to the guest room and the adjoining bathroom. When he stops walking, Chanyeol bumps into his back.   
  
“Sorry,” he murmurs and takes a polite step back.   
  
Baekhyun bites down on the small smile that finds his lips.   
  
“This is where you’ll stay until we leave. I’ll bring your things to help you settle in. If you need anything, just let me know.”   
  
Chanyeol looks at the guest quarters through his fringe and worries his lower lip between his teeth.   
  
“Can’t I stay with you?” He asks.

  
“Pardon?” Baekhyun’s eyes widen, as if he’s not heard right. “You mean—in my room?”    
  
Chanyeol flushes slightly. “It feels...safe.”   
  
Baekhyun turns fully to face him. He takes him all in, long limbs, full features, bashful expression. Long lashes that catch the lamplight. The gentle reflection of hope in his eyes.   
  
“Okay,” he says and his heart skips a beat.   
  


  
  


  
———   
  


A week in Chanyeol’s company flies by all too quickly. Then two. Baekhyun feels lighter than he has in a long time, and a lot less nervous about leaving home—though he’d never admit he was nervous in the first place.    
  
Chanyeol is enchanting—gentle and playful with a knack for making himself useful—and a deep addictive laugh. The first time Baekhyun hears it he stops in his tracks. It’s the evening before they fly to the States and he walks in on his mother giving Chanyeol last minute instructions. Baekhyun opens his mouth to protest but Chanyeol bursts into sudden laughter, his mother alongside him. Baekhyun steps back from the doorway into the hall. He knows Chanyeol has managed to charm his mother, but he’s never heard him laugh like that, so genuinely happy.   
  
“Ah, Chanyeollie... you’re a good boy. I know we started off on the wrong foot, and I apologize. You’ve been so good for Baekhyun even in just two weeks. I’m so happy to see him smiling again. I trust you with his wellbeing while he’s away from us.”   
  
Baekhyun swallows noisily and is sure someone can hear him, plastered against the wall outside the room like a gecko.   
  
“Thank you. I’m so grateful that you’re giving me a chance. I’ll work hard to keep your trust.”

 

As they lay in bed that night—Chanyeol insisting to take the trundle despite Baekhyun’s offer to switch—Baekhyun lets out a long breath.    
  
“Can’t sleep?” Chanyeol’s voice drifts up to him. His deep, soft timbre has a soporific effect, and Baekhyun automatically relaxes.   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Do you want to talk about it?”   
  
Baekhyun fidgets and flips himself over. “Not really. You shouldn’t have to listen to me anyway, get some sleep if you can.”   
  
“I wouldn’t mind though. Listening to you.”   
  
That’s the whole problem. Chanyeol is too accommodating. He’s been hired to help keep him fed and keep his house in order, not listen to Baekhyun whine. He’s not his therapist.   
  
“I know. And—I’m grateful. But I don’t really know what to say anyway. It’s just a feeling.”   
  
“What do you usually do to work out your feelings?”

  
“Honestly? Nothing. Not anymore.”   
  
“What about Mochi? Did she help?”   
  
Chanyeol knows about his former pet after asking about a framed photo on Baekhyun’s wall.   
  
“She did. Sometimes it’s easiest to just not talk, you know?”   
  
“Mm,” Chanyeol hums. In the dark, Baekhyun sees him rise. His lean figure cuts a long shadow in the moonlight. He steps closer and Baekhyun sucks in a breath. And then his shadow folds. The next thing he knows, something warm and soft is pressed against his side. Baekhyun sucks in a surprised breath.    
  
Chanyeol hasn’t transformed since the day he arrived. Baekhyun realizes he’d nearly forgotten that he’s a hybrid.   
  
“Chanyeol?” He breathes, and the rabbit’s ears perk. He nudges his way under Baekhyun’s hand, as if to say,  _ pet me. _ _  
_   
So he does. Cuddling the rabbit close in his arms, he strokes its chestnut fur gently, the repetitive motion soothing them both. He feels the ball of fluff curl up against him, tucking its face in his chest, and his heart beats all out of time. Captivated by the small miracle in his arms, he doesn’t sleep, not for a while.   
  
“Thank you,” he whispers into Chanyeol’s soft fur.

  
  


  
  


———

  
The airport is crowded and noisy. Baekhyun keeps a tight grip on Chanyeol’s carrier. In order to prove he’s a hybrid and companion animal like his papers say, he’s required to check-in and fly in animal form. It's not a kind policy. So Baekhyun keeps Chanyeol’s clothes in his hand luggage, so that he can shift the moment they’ve made it through customs in the States.

 

They have two flights ahead of them, a long one to New York, and a short connection to Boston. All in all, they’ll be traveling nearly 24 hours. As they wait to board, Baekhyun puts his finger through the bars of the carrier door and Chanyeol nuzzles his fingertip. 

 

“You’re gonna be okay right, Yeollie?” He peers at the rabbit, who nudges his fingers playfully. Baekhyun opens the door just enough to put his hand through so he can pet Chanyeol’s head. The rabbit butts his head against Baekhyun’s palm, nuzzling into his hand. Baekhyun smiles and scratches behind the bunny’s ears.

 

Boarding is relatively painless, an older businessman is in the seat next to Baekhyun in the first class cabin. Baekhyun slides Chanyeol’s carrier into the space at his feet and gets settled. He has a number of snacks and a fresh water bottle to feed Chanyeol with in his bag. With a final pet of his head and a reassurance that he’ll be right there, Baekhyun settles in.

 

The first half of the flight goes smoothly. Baekhyun eats plane food and feeds Chanyeol his snacks. As the cabin lights dim, he settles in to sleep. He dozes off contentedly, thinking this could’ve all gone a lot worse.

 

That is, until they hit turbulence.

 

Baekhyun wakes up and frowns, sitting up in the seatbed as he feels the plane shake. It’s dark but the cabin crew is moving through the aisles and the seatbelt sign dings on. The pilot’s voice comes over the intercom asking people to stay seated.

 

At his feet, Baekhyun feels a rattling. With a start, he throws off his seatbelt and folds the bed, kneeling down to press his hand to the carrier door. Chanyeol is pressed up against it, shaking violently. 

 

“Yeollie!” Baekhyun whispers and quickly tugs the carrier out from under the seat. Chanyeol is making small noises and even in the dim lighting Baekhyun can see his eyes are wide with fear.

 

“Yeollie, it’ll be okay,” Baekhyun whispers and grabs the carrier handle and marches himself down the aisle to the restroom despite multiple protests from the crew.

 

Once inside, he locks himself in and closes the toilet seat, setting the carrier on top of it. He opens the cage and Chanyeol bounds into his arms. Shaking violently, the rabbit hides in the crook of his arm.

 

“Shhh,” Baekhyun soothes, cradling the rabbit to his chest and burying his face in his fur. “It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay. You’ve never flown before, right Yeollie? It’s always like this, it’s nothing to worry about, okay?” Baekhyun keeps mumbling to Chanyeol even as the intercom directs passengers to return to their seats immediately. 

 

_ Well, what if it was a bathroom emergency?  _ Baekhyun huffs and stays put.

 

Eventually Chanyeol’s heartbeat steadies and Baekhyun sets him in the carrier and moves it to the floor. For fear of leaving Chanyeol alone, Baekhyun hasn’t left his seat since they boarded. Now that he's reminded of it, his bladder protests the abuse.

 

“Stay put a second. Sorry for oversharing but since we’re here I might as well use the facilities.” He turns to answer nature’s call and then washes his hands in the annoying little sink. He looks up to find a paper towel and nearly yells as he feels a body pressed up against his.

 

“Chanyeol?!” Baekhyun whips around and his back hits the sink. “What are you—“ he squawks, eyes dropping as he boggles at Chanyeol's naked state, pressed up against him in the tiny space. He gulps and snaps his head up, staring into Chanyeol’s face. 

 

“Sorry,” Chanyeol whispers, but despite the earnest look in his eyes, the dimple in his cheek gives away his amusement. He shivers and wraps his arms around himself, glancing around the tiny bathroom. “Um. Hi.”

 

“H-hi.” Baekhyun presses his back to the sink but there’s no room to escape; they’re still pressed flush. Which is good because otherwise he’d be struggling to keep his eyes where they belong—on Chanyeol’s face. 

 

“A-are you okay? Why’d you shift? You know you have to travel in animal form, at least til we’re through customs.” Baekhyun rambles.

 

“I... wasn’t scared anymore.” Chanyeol says slowly, as if just realizing it himself.

 

Baekhyun sighs heavily. He lifts his hands and moves to set them on Chanyeol’s arms, hesitating briefly as he sees gooseflesh prickling Chanyeol’s bare skin. Swallowing, he sets his hands on his arms and rubs them gently, unable to ignore the kindling warmth of his skin.

 

“I’m glad,” Baekhyun says softly, looking up into his eyes. He resists the sudden urge to tuck Chanyeol’s fringe behind his ear.. “But... you have to shift back now… we need to go back to our seats.”

 

Chanyeol huffs a short sigh and pouts. “Sorry,” he apologizes again, more abashed and less mischievous this time. “I was feeling cooped up.”

 

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun says with a shaky smile. “You just gave me a start.”

 

Chanyeol nods with a flop of his fringe. He shifts into rabbit form and hops into his carrier, looking up at Baekhyun from behind the unlatched door. 

 

Baekhyun bends down and latches the carrier. He hefts it and makes his way back to his seat, his own heart racing a bit too quick.

  
  
  
  


———

  
By the time they made it through customs, Baekhyun is thoroughly exhausted and ready to sink into bed, or any horizontal surface. His head swims with disorientation as jet lag sets in. But it’s the middle of the day in Boston. 

 

As soon as they’re through the gates, Chanyeol rattles around in his carrier, sticking his nose against the door. Baekhyun sets down his bags on the hand cart and unlatches the carrier.   
  
“Do you want to come out now?” He smiles despite his exhaustion when Chanyeol nuzzles his palm and nods. 

 

“Alright, let me a find a restroom. I have your clothes in my bag. You better help me with this luggage after,” he teases and wheels the cart down the arrivals hall.   
  
Maneuvering them into a handicapped restroom, he sets down Chanyeol’s carrier and pulls out his clothes, turning away so that Chanyeol can shift. The air moves behind him and then a finger taps his shoulder, making him jump. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly and thrusts the clothes behind him.   
  
“Thank you,” Chanyeol murmurs, an undercurrent of curious mirth in his voice. He takes the clothes from Baekhyun one by one til his hands are empty.   
  


“I’m decent now, you can open your eyes.”    
  
Baekhyun blinks, seeing spots as he adjusts to the harsh restroom lights. He turns around and finds Chanyeol smiling warmly at him. 

 

“Hi.”   
  
Baekhyun feels himself smile and he can’t help but flush as he realizes how close they are—again. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out. Surely the 24 odd hours they’ve been traveling is to blame for that. 

  
“Hi.” He finally finds his voice.   
  
Chanyeol tilts his head and a quizzical look crosses his face. “Are you okay?” He asks, stepping closer.   
  
“Uh—I’m fine. Just really tired.” Baekhyun scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. “Let’s get out of here?”   
  
Chanyeol bobs his head with a perky nod and picks up the carrier. “After you.”

 

The cab ride to the flat isn’t particularly long, but Baekhyun’s head weaves as they wind through the city. He nods off twice, waking only when his neck protests the abuse. The third time, Chanyeol edges into the middle seat.  
  
“Hyunnie,” he murmurs, eyes wide , “you can lean on me, if you like?”  
  
_When did you start calling me that?_ Baekhyun blearily wonders. Too tired to protest or think, Baekhyun drops his head against Chanyeol’s warm shoulder and is out like a light.  
  
When he wakes, it’s to a gentle shaking. He cracks open his eyes with a groan, and finds himself slumped messily against Chanyeol. Breath catching, he scrambles upright with a start, blinking widely at Chanyeol who simply smiles back.

  
“We’re here, I think?” He says, shaking his fringe out of his eyes.

  
They unload all of their luggage from the cab, then venture to the second floor of the brownstone. Chanyeol fumbles along the top of the doorframe and pulls down a key.   
  
“How did you—” Baekhyun asks.

  
“Your mom gave me the instructions, too,” Chanyeol chirps, taking in the spacious sunlit apartment with bright eyes. “Why don’t you relax and I’ll bring our bags up?”   
  
“No! I’ll help,” Baekhyun quickly protests through an enormous yawn. 

 

Chanyeol steps close and sets his hands gently on Baekhyun’s shoulders. He takes a step forward, then another. 

 

Baekhyun’s breath stalls and he steps back, wide eyes searching Chanyeol’s smiling face. His heart skips a beat, then another. They walk backwards until Baekhyun’s calves hit the couch, and with a gentle push at his shoulders, he’s made to sit.

  
“I’m more awake than you, so I get to bring up the bags.” Chanyeol says with a small, satisfied smile and bounds out the door on long legs before Baekhyun can protest.   
  
Baekhyun makes a defeated sound and sulks at the door. He’s tired, the couch is soft. If he sits there he’ll fall asleep. Looking around, his eyes catch on a note on the refrigerator. He crosses the room and pulls it down. It’s a note from his aunt who lives in the city and owns the apartment. Pacing as he reads, he jumps when Chanyeol pops back in the door.   
  
“That doesn’t look like resting,” Chanyeol pouts and raises his brows. He sets their bags down inside, stacking his carrier on top of them.

  
“We’ve been here five minutes and you’re already mothering me,” Baekhyun frowns.   
  
“Sorry,” Chanyeol drops his eyes and fiddles with the tag on his carrier. “Um, where would you like these?”   
  
“I dunno,” Baekhyun says quickly. “Let’s explore.” He leaves the note on the table and beckons Chanyeol away from the luggage. Chanyeol. They head down the hallway, Chanyeol close at his heels.

  
The apartment is airy but cozy, furnished with essentials and boasting three decently sized bedrooms, a kitchen, and a large living room. As they poke their heads into each bedroom, Baekhyun watches Chanyeol from the corner of his eyes.   
  
“Wah, this room is so bright,” the younger man exclaims when they enter the master bedroom, spreading out his arms and turning around. He faces Baekhyun with a huge grin on his face.    
  
“You should take this one,” Baekhyun says, surveying the space with his hands on his hips.    
  
Chanyeol’s lips round in protest. “But it’s the biggest one—“   
  
“It’s too sunny for me,” Baekhyun lifts a shoulder. It’s a lie but the truth is he won’t be home much once school starts. Besides the whole apartment is sunny.    
  
The real truth is he wants to see Chanyeol smile big and bright like that again.   
  
He does, albeit cautiously. “Okay. Only if you’re sure.” But the glimmer in his eyes is hard to miss as he turns to look at his new home.

 

They haul their bags down the hall to their respective rooms. Chanyeol insists on helping Baekhyun unpack, boasting that since he helped pack he knows where everything is.   
  
“I’m really good at organizing,” he says solemnly, lifting a pile of Baekhyun’s socks in one hand and placing them into a drawer with care.   
  
“Way better than me.” Baekhyun hides a smile as he turns to hang his shirts in the closet.   
  
Jointly they make quick work of unpacking their things, and it helps keep them awake. They’re both fighting painful yawns by the time they’re done though, and collapse on the living room sofa in a heap. Chanyeol has his head thrown back and a smile on his face. Shoulder to shoulder, Baekhyun feels an overwhelming urge to turn and bury his face in Chanyeol’s shoulder.    
  
“I was thinking we should—“ Baekhyun starts to say when Chanyeol’s phone suddenly buzzes. He sits up and pulls it from the coffee table, blowing his bangs out of his eyes.   
  
“It’s Mr. Lee,” he says, biting his lip.   
  
“You should take it,” Baekhyun yawns, curling into the space Chanyeol has vacated.   
  
“Okay,” Chanyeol says softly and stands up, hunching slightly as he greets the caller.   
  
Baekhyun doesn’t mean to eavesdrop. But the moment Chanyeol starts speaking, his fatigue is replaced with curiosity.   
  
“Everything is really good!” Chanyeol enthuses as he paces the hallway. “Mrs. Byun has been really nice. I told her to send you my pay. Yes— yes I got the card. Thank you. Is everything okay there? Did you find a new assistant? Oh—oh no. Jongdae??! Mr. Lee—!“ Chanyeol breaks into laughter. He paces back into view and Baekhyun makes a show of curling up on the sofa to sleep. Chanyeol waves a hand at him, frowning and pointing to the bedrooms. Baekhyun scrunches his nose and hugs a pillow, shaking his head. Chanyeol pouts.    
  
“Ye-yes I’m still here. Okay, Mr. Lee. Thank you again. I really owe y—no! I do. Okay, bye!”   
  
Pocketing his phone, Chanyeol strides back to the sofa and stands over Baekhyun.   
  
“If you’re going to sleep, you should sleep in a bed. And you should eat.”   
  
Baekhyun makes a defiant noise with his face in the pillow. Chanyeol sits beside him and tugs on the pillow.    
  
“Hyunnie—“    
  
Baekhyun peeks an eye out and stares at Chanyeol. Eventually the tall boy flusters and looks away.    
  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”   
  
“You and Mr. Lee are close?” Baekhyun asks instead of answering the question.   
  
Chanyeol scoots back to sit comfortably. “Yes. He’s the only family I know. He’s the only family a lot of us know.”   
  
Baekhyun sobers and sits up, hair in disarray and holding the pillow in his lap.   
  
“Do you miss him?”   
  
“I worry about him. He has this crazy cat helping him now.”   
  
Baekhyun blinks. “—What?”   
  
“Jongdae! He’s like me. Well, he’s a stray. We didn’t know he was a hybrid at first. He’d been abandoned and stayed in cat form for so long that it was like he forgot how to shift. His tail was injured when we found him, apparently he’d been fighting another cat in an alley. We took him in and fixed him up, and then he bonded with Minnie and we thought that was that, but then one day he was just there! He wasn’t even a kitten, he was just a small cat!”   
  
It’s the most Baekhyun has ever heard Chanyeol say all at once, and so animatedly. He sits silent for a beat, expecting Chanyeol to go on. When he doesn’t, Baekhyun shakes his head as if coming out of a spell.   
  
“O—oh. So—even you can’t tell sometimes?”   
  
“Not at all! Especially if hybrids don’t get their chip or are born off the record, there’s no way to tell until they shift.”   
  
“That’s...kind of creepy.”   
  
Chanyeol frowns. “Why?”   
  
“I just—it would be so weird if I had a pet that I thought was an animal, and it turned out to be human.” He frowns. “What if they were deceiving me to get to me or my family, to hurt them or steal something.“   
  
Chanyeol draws a sharp breath and looks like he’s about to speak. But instead he looks away.   
  
“Your aunt left us kimchi and bibimbap. You should eat and get some sleep.” 

 

Baekhyun can tell from his tone that’s not what he was planning to say.   
  
Baekhyun readies to protest but Chanyeol quickly moves to the kitchen and rummages in the fridge. He rises from the couch and tries to help set the table but Chanyeol crowds him out of the kitchen. He is made to sit at the dining table and accept a dinner he feels vaguely guilty for eating.   
  
“Chanyeol—“ Baekhyun hedges when he finishes eating. “Did I say something wrong?”   
  
Chanyeol shakes his head and continues eating, keeping his eyes on his bowl.   
  
Baekhyun deflates. Chanyeol won’t meet his eyes. This isn’t how he wants them to spend their first night of freedom.   
  
“I think I did. I don’t know what exactly, but I’m willing to listen if you’ll tell me,” he tries again.   
  
Chanyeol finishes eating and collects their dishes to wash. But Baekhyun’s not having it. He holds onto his bowl, forcing Chanyeol to look at him. When he does, he sees an unfamiliar look on the younger boy’s face, something wary and shuttered.    
  
“Chanyeol,” he breathes. “Please talk to me.”   
  
Chanyeol‘s throat bobs. “Later,” he says.

 

It’s better than nothing.   
  
“Okay. Later,” Baekhyun agrees and steps back when Chanyeol tugs on the bowl. He watches him move through the kitchen with a methodical ease that speaks of years of experience. He feels bad for hovering and heads to his bedroom. Grabbing a quick shower he changes into pajamas. When Chanyeol comes down the hall after his own shower, Baekhyun is sitting up cross-legged in bed, wide awake.   
  
“Chanyeol—” he calls out. He hears the other’s footsteps pause and backtrack to his door. “Can we talk?” He asks, hopeful. Chanyeol has on a teeshirt and plaid shorts, his hair half up in a ponytail.   
  
“There isn’t much to say.” Chanyeol says quietly, hanging in the doorway.   
  
“There is. We’re going to be living together for a long time, Chanyeol. I want to make sure I don’t do anything to hurt you. Just because of this—“ he waves his hands, “arrangement, doesn’t mean that I don’t care about your feelings or who you are as a person. You should tell me if I say something to offend you.”   
  
“Why?”   
  
“Because—“ Baekhyun blinks. “Because I want to make sure you’re happy.”   
  
Chanyeol leans into the doorframe, eyes downcast, but Baekhyun can see he’s conflicted. He climbs off the bed and approaches Chanyeol slowly, so as not to startle him.   
  
“Hey,” he says softly, reaching out. He sets a hand on Chanyeol’s arm and when the taller boy doesn’t pull away, he gives it a gentle rub. “You can trust me.”   
  
“Why do you think all hybrids are lying or going to hurt someone?” Chanyeol blurts out. “Why do you think we’re all bad or evil?”   
  
Baekhyun’s mouth drops open but the answer evades him.   
  
“I don’t—“   
  
“You do though. The first thing you said when you realized that you can’t tell when someone is a hybrid is that you’d be creeped out and suspicious.”

  
“I— I didn’t mean it like that. I just— it could happen—and I wouldn’t even know.”   
  
“How do you know that a human isn’t lying or out to hurt you?”   
  
Baekhyun shuts his mouth. Chanyeol has a point.   
  
“It’s always like this.” Chanyeol continues. “Humans are so quick to judge, but don’t they do terrible things too? One hybrid ends up in the news and every hybrid becomes suspect. Do you know how many of us are thrown out on the streets every time something bad happens involving a hybrid? Or how many of us end up in prison for things we didn’t do?”

  
“Chanyeol, I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s—it’s no different. I was wrong.”   
  
“Do you know that every time I was adopted, they got rid of me because I outgrew the size of ‘pet’ they wanted? I wasn’t harmless enough for their tastes anymore. The older I got the less people trusted me. People want small cute girls as pet rabbits, not me. They saw me as a threat. Nobody trusts a 6-foot-2 rabbit hybrid, Baekhyun. Why do you?”   
  
Baekhyun’s heart clenches. He stares into Chanyeol’s glassy eyes and holds his arms. He wishes for something reassuring to say, but all he has to offer is his own truth.   
  
“Because—because I like you Chanyeol. I liked you the moment I met you.”   
  
A tear slips free of Chanyeol’s left eye and Baekhyun watches it trace down his cheek. He takes a chance, pulling the taller boy closer. “I like you as a person. Not a pet. I don’t care if you’re a hybrid. I don’t care if you’re my housekeeper. I just like  _ you _ .”   
  
Chanyeol folds in his arms and Baekhyun holds onto him tight. He feels tears seeping into the neck of his teeshirt as Chanyeol shakes in his arms, draping over his shoulder and hugging him back. Gently, he pulls him away from the door and toward the bed, where he holds him as he cries out his frustrations. They fall asleep together in a heap on his bed, and Baekhyun thinks that’s alright. Chanyeol would’ve found his new bedroom unfamiliar anyway.

  
  
  
  


———

 

They fall into a routine easily. Breakfast is ready before Baekhyun is sentient. Chanyeol is up with the sun, and mornings find him at the kitchen table, reading one of the books in the collection he’s begun amassing. Baekhyun attends orientation and school start up. He sails through his first weeks, and makes friends in his classes. 

 

Chanyeol takes care of the cleaning and cooking and errands while Baekhyun is out. Every night they wile away hours together, Baekhyun poring over assignments while Chanyeol reads. When Baekhyun nods off mid-assignment, Chanyeol lends him a shoulder, or prods him to go to bed. They quickly grow close over those shared quiet hours. 

 

Baekhyun’s grown accustomed to finding a small ball of fluff curled up beside him at night. Though Chanyeol starts the night in his own bed–something he insisted he was fine with–mornings find him snuggled up beside Baekhyun, by his head or his neck or nudged under his arm, or sometimes right on his chest, depending on which sprawled position Baekhyun has fallen asleep in.

 

A month into school and a cool breeze whispers across Baekhyun’s shoulders with a promise of autumn. He shivers under the sheets, and thinks it’s probably time to switch over to a quilt. And get a coat. He’ll have to go shopping.

 

“Yeollie?” He mumbles, eyes closed. As the weather grows cooler, Chanyeol has become less of an early riser. A nuzzle at his hair brings a sleepy smile to his lips. “Do you wanna go shopping today? We need to get warmer clothes.”

 

He doesn’t get a reaction, so he cracks one eye open. He watches the rabbit hop off the bed and disappear out the door. Frowning, Baekhyun pushes himself up, scrubbing a hand through his hair and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

 

Chanyeol reappears at the door a moment later, in human form and clothed in plaid flannel pajamas.

 

“We can order things online,” he says, shuffling in and sitting at the edge of the bed. He pulls up an app on his phone. “See, I get everything we need on here.” He points out his orders on Amazon.

 

“Yeol…” Baekhyun blinks hard to clear the fog of sleep from his head. “Have you...been out at all since we got here?”

 

“Out?” Chanyeol blinks. “Yes, to take the trash out.”

 

“No I mean  _ out _ . Like for fun. To the store or to see things...or people.”

 

Chanyeol shakes his head.

 

Baekhyun tilts his own. “Don’t you want to?”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes are round as he worries his lower lip, giving a half-shake of his head before changing it to a nod.

 

“Is that a yes or a no?”

 

“Yes?” Chanyeol says, but it’s soft. Baekhyun files it away to think about later, when he’s more awake and less likely to say something stupid.

 

“Okay then we’re going shopping. Let’s leave after breakfast.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes brighten and he springs upright. “This calls for pancakes!” He announces in his wake, and well, that’s one way to get Baekhyun out of bed.

 

Watching Chanyeol cook is a pleasure in itself. He enjoys it, Baekhyun can tell. He’s talented at it, too. Anything he makes tastes like heaven, even when he’s never made the dish before. He’s only recently learned to make pancakes, after discovering Baekhyun’s sweet tooth. This morning they have blueberries in them, and Baekhyun tries not to moan as the salty butter and sweet syrup mingle with the tangy berries on his tongue.

 

Chanyeol watches him with a surprised smile.

 

“Is it that good or are you exaggerating?”

 

“Uh. This is amazing, this is me holding back.” Baekhyun swipes another forkful into his mouth and leans back in his chair with satisfaction. “I could die happy right now.”

 

“Please don’t,” Chanyeol says solemnly, eyes wide. His hair is sticks up in wild waves like he hasn’t remembered to comb it and Baekhyun has an irresistible urge to run his fingers through it.

 

He sits forward at the small table and reaches out a hand, only to stop short.

 

He was about to pet Chanyeol in human form.

 

He pulls his hand back and clears his throat, willing away the sudden heat in his face.

 

“Gonna grab a shower and then we can head out, unless you need one as well?” He asks.

 

Chanyeol gives a quick nod, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I’ll hop in after you.”

 

They make quick work of getting ready, and it’s only when Chanyeol doesn’t put on a jacket that Baekhyun realizes he truly hasn’t left the apartment since they arrived. Feeling guilty for his oversight, Baekhyun helps him pick out some clothes that’ll keep him warm, and wraps one of his own scarves around Chanyeol’s neck. Chanyeol smiles and stands very still.

 

“Better,” Baekhyun looks up with a lopsided smile as he pulls the lapels of Chanyeol’s thin jacket closer.

 

“Thank you,” Chanyeol says softly, and Baekhyun slows, caught in the arresting depths of his eyes. His heart skips a beat as he stares a moment too long. He's sure it's to blame when he slips his hand into Chanyeol’s and leads them out the door.

 

“We can walk to the train and get you a day pass,” he says, feeling a bubble of warmth in his chest as Chanyeol holds his hand tighter when they step outside.

 

“Is that how you go to school?”

 

“Nah, I walk to campus. When it gets colder I’ll probably have to take the bus. There are two stops nearby. My aunt said it’s going to get really cold and snowy here, much more than in Seoul.”

 

Chanyeol hums and nods, casting his eyes about curiously as they stroll down the leaf-strewn lane. Austere old houses line both sides and the sky is a crisp blue overhead. When a dog barks from a neighbor’s yard, Chanyeol steps closer to Baekhyun, squeezing his hand tight. Baekhyun glances up at him and sees tension lining his face.

 

“You don’t like dogs?” Baekhyun asks, and Chanyeol shakes his head vigorously. 

 

“How’d you work with them at the adoption center?”

 

“They knew me. I knew them. It was different. Most of our pups were hybrids anyway. There were lots of takers for dogs. Cats and rabbits were much less popular, and more likely to get abandoned. You know how people don’t like cats as much back home.”

 

“Yeah…” Baekhyun squeezes Chanyeol’s hand. “Is that what happened to you?” He asks softly.

 

Chanyeol lifts his shoulders and puts his other hand in his coat pocket. “In a sense. Mr. Lee told me I was abandoned on his doorstep when I was really little. I was in the foster system for years and even adopted twice, the last time when I was eleven. But when I hit a growth spurt and ended up taller than everyone in the house, they gave me back to Mr. Lee. I was in and out of foster homes again after that, but Mr. Lee gave me a job helping him out so it wasn’t too bad.”

 

Baekhyun comes to a standstill in the middle of the sidewalk. 

 

“This is your third adoption?” His voice comes out strange.

 

Chanyeol nods. “Adoptions aren’t a whole lot different than fostering, except that they’re supposed to be permanent. And there’s no system after you’re adopted. Whatever the family wants is what I have to be and do. They make the rules.”

 

Baekhyun’s heart thuds dully. He grips Chanyeol’s hand tighter as a cool breeze blows past them. “What do  _ you _ want, Chanyeol?” He asks, looking up into his face.

 

Chanyeol meets his gaze, searching and soft. “I…” His throat bobs. “I don’t know. To see the world and live a normal life? I...don’t think about it much.”

 

Baekhyun nods, his lips pressed together because he doesn’t trust his voice. He clears his throat and squeezes Chanyeol’s hand. 

 

“Tell me, if you figure it out?”

 

Chanyeol looks uncertain, but nods nonetheless.

 

Baekhyun keeps close to Chanyeol’s side as they head to the city center. Shoulder to shoulder on the train, Chanyeol’s eyes dart about with all the people coming in and out of the car. When they’re back outside, he’s even more nervous, surrounded by weekend crowds of shoppers and tourists, loud sounds and scents. Baekhyun tugs him into a store and away from the crowds, and Chanyeol relaxes, getting distracted by all the clothes and shoes on display, taking a particular liking to a line of Adidas sportswear.

 

They’re in the midst of modeling for one another at the fitting rooms, laughing about how high the hems are on Chanyeol’s ankles on a particular pair of pants, when a voice calls out Baekhyun’s name.

 

He spins around in front of the mirror and spots a familiar face.

 

“Kai,” he grins, “what are you doing here?”

 

“Eh, just picking up some stuff,” the upperclassman responds in English. Baekhyun’s so accustomed to speaking Korean with Chanyeol outside of school that it takes him a moment to mentally switch and keep up with him.

 

“Oh, yeah. Cool. We are too.” Baekhyun gestures to Chanyeol, who emerges from the dressing room with his belongings and glances at the new addition with a guarded expression.

 

“Chanyeol, this is Kai, a friend from school. Kai, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun introduces them in Korean.

 

“Nice to meet you Chanyeol,” the Korean-American student grins, switching into Korean as well, albeit with an accent. He sticks out a hand to shake. Chanyeol takes it and murmurs a greeting, but steps back right after, holding his jacket to his chest.

 

“Are you Baekhyun’s—“ Kai starts, looking between them curiously. He lifts a brow.

 

“Roommate.” Baekhyun quickly supplies.

 

“Nice. What do you do, Chanyeol?” Kai asks conversationally as they head to checkout. “Are you a student too?”

 

“I work,” Chanyeol says uncertainly.

 

“He’s a personal chef.” Baekhyun interjects. “He’s pretty amazing.”

 

“You’d eat anything and think it’s amazing,” Kai quips with a snicker. “No offense to you, man,” he says to Chanyeol. “That’s a sweet gig though, how’d you land that? You seem so young. How old are you anyway?.”

 

“I’ll be eighteen next month,” Chanyeol says carefully. “I guess...I just fell into it.”

 

“Impressive. I’m Hyun’s age, but I grew up here so I’m a couple of years ahead of him.” Kai slings an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders and grins. “He’s my hyung too, but I look out for the fresh meat anyway.”

 

Chanyeol stiffens and looks at Baekhyun warily.

 

“In other words, he means I could bench press his ass because he didn’t have to do military,” Baekhyun snorts, slanting a fond glance up at the junior. “We met through the international student guidance program.”

 

“So, how about you, how’d you meet?” Kai looks between them as they finish checking out, Kai with several bags in hand, compared to Chanyeol’s one and Baekhyun’s two.

 

“His mother—“

 

“Family friends—” 

 

They look at each other and it takes Baekhyun a moment to realize that both of their stories can be true at the same time. “Yeah,” he says lamely, hoping Kai doesn’t pick up on anything.

 

“Cool, cool. Oh hey, I was gonna go check out Kyungsoo’s party tonight for the Asian Student Alliance since I missed the last one. At least this time he listened, last month that jerk picked a day when I told him I couldn’t come. You should come, bring Chanyeol with you.”

 

“Uhh—I—“ Baekhyun glances at Chanyeol, who looks like he’d rather do anything but that. He stifles a frown and comes up with an excuse. “Actually I’ve got a ton of homework to catch up on. But next time for sure.”

 

“We’ll probably do it every month.” Kai says “Gotta go but I’ll see you on campus, Hyun.” Kai turns and waves, walking backwards on the cobblestone street. “Nice meeting you Chanyeol. Hope to see you around.” His smile is all teeth.

  
  
  


———

 

“Are you okay? You didn’t seem to like him very much,” Baekhyun comments to Chanyeol as they stroll the walkways of Quincy Market. Chanyeol doesn’t respond right away, and when Baekhyun looks over, he sees that Chanyeol’s countenance is dark.

 

“I don’t trust him.”

 

Baekhyun cocks a brow. “Why not? You just met. I know he’s kind of a bold personality, but he’s really sweet.”

 

Chanyeol’s next words are low and guarded.

 

“He’s a hybrid.”

 

Baekhyun frowns. “So? You are too.”

 

“He’s a  _ wolf _ , Baekhyun.” Chanyeol says coldly.

 

It takes Baekhyun a moment to understand.

 

“Oh.  _ Oh. _ Are you—you’re afraid of him?”

 

Chanyeol looks at him with incredulity. “Aren’t you?”

 

“No?”

 

“You should be. He called you fresh meat.”

 

Baekhyun laughs. “That’s because I’m a freshman.”

 

“It’s not funny, Baekhyun. He looked at you like—like he wanted to eat you.”

 

Baekhyun sobers and clears his throat. “To tell the truth, I thought he looked like that at you.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widen to saucers.

 

“No—not like that! I mean, like, he’s interested in you.”

 

“In how I’d taste, maybe.” Chanyeol says darkly.

 

Baekhyun chokes on air as his mind goes places he’s sure Chanyeol’s didn’t intend. He coughs and bangs his chest. When he calms down, he huffs a breath.

 

“Yeol, he seems to like you but if you don’t like him, that’s okay.”

 

“I don’t  _ trust _ him, and neither should you. He’s a predator, Baekhyun.”

 

“Yeol,” Baekhyun says, frustration rising. He knows he should just leave it alone, but he's never seen Chanyeol react this strongly to anything, not even when protesting prejudice against hybrids. Which is exactly what he’s doing now. 

 

“He never said anything to me. Wouldn’t it be weird if I were to just avoid him suddenly, without any explanation?”

 

“He did say something to you. He told you he was unable to attend the last mixer. What date was it on?”

 

“It was on September 6th. Yeol how does that mean anything?”

 

Chanyeol takes out his phone and types something into search. He pulls up a webpage and holds it out for Baekhyun to see.

 

_ September 6th, 2017. Full Moon. _

 

Baekhyun looks up and blinks. “That could be a coincidence.”

 

“It isn’t.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Chanyeol puts his phone away and they head home in silence. 

 

When they’re back inside the warmth of their apartment, Chanyeol goes to his room and drops off his things, emerging in casual clothes. He begins to prep dinner and Baekhyun watches him from the corner of his eye as he settles on the living room sofa to work on assignments. He ends up doing more watching than working, however, as he sees a rigidity in Chanyeol’s posture that he’s never noticed before. 

 

When they sit down to eat, Baekhyun tries to broach the subject from a different angle.

 

“What harm could Kai pose to me?” He asks over a forkful of spaghetti. “Hypothetically speaking.”

 

“Wolf hybrids are different. Their species existed since long ago. There are genetically modified strains like the rest of us, but there are also ancients.  Scientists believe they’re the first hybrid species, the only naturally occurring one. They’re a lot more dangerous, because they can turn humans.”

 

Baekhyun lifts a brow. “Like werewolves?”

 

“Not  _ like _ .”

 

“Oh.” Baekhyun gulps.

 

“Lycans who don’t have full control can turn humans by accident. Those who do can still harm anyone in wolf form.”

 

“I can’t imagine Kai doing anything to hurt anyone. He’s so nice.”

 

“Nature’s laws are stronger than human will,” Chanyeol says monotonously.

 

It’s a line Baekhyun's heard many times, in the the news and media. He doesn’t like hearing it from Chanyeol, not in such a lifeless tone. He finishes his dinner in silence. As he helps clean up, he remembers something else Chanyeol mentioned earlier in the day.

 

“Yeol, if you could visit anywhere in the world, what places would you want to see?”

 

Chanyeol takes a moment to reply as he rinses his plate. “Some places in Europe sound really interesting, And South America. I read in a history book that lots of Asian people went to various places in South America for work a long time back, so there are lots of interracial communities there. I think it would be cool to meet people like that.”

 

Baekhyun realizes that the books Chanyeol has all over his room and the living room are all world history and travel books from the places he’s mentioned. He watches Chanyeol load the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen and feels a heavy mantle of guilt settle on his shoulders.

 

“I hope you get to visit all of those places.”

 

Chanyeol glances over his shoulder and smiles. “I hope so too.”

 

A bit of weight lifts off his shoulders at the sight of Chanyeol’s smile. He wants to make up for the crappy day he’s caused Chanyeol to have.

 

“Yeol…” he says, trying to sound casual, “it’s still early, do you want to watch a movie or something?”

 

Chanyeol perks and agrees, and soon they’re ensconced on the couch, schoolbooks pushed aside. They queue up some superhero movies, Chanyeol’s choice, and settle in to watch. Chanyeol sits close but not enough to touch, and Baekhyun rues the lack of his familiar warmth. As the TV flashes blue and white in the dark room, he looks down and sees Chanyeol’s hand, next to his own but not touching. His fingers itch to bridge the distance and take Chanyeol's hand but something holds him back. It feels a lot like guilt. All his family has done is trap him, bind him, and hold him back. The last thing he should be doing is adding to that.

 

When he looks up again, Chanyeol is watching him instead of the television. His lips part in surprise when Baekhyun looks up at him. At eye-level with Chanyeol’s lips, Baekhyun stares, entranced by how soft and full they look. He wets his own lips without thinking. Chanyeol catches his lower lip between his teeth and Baekhyun swallows, his eyes flashing up.

 

The brush of fingertips at his hand feels like an electric surge, and Chanyeol’s hand slips into his, like he was missing it, too.

 

Holding his eyes in the blue darkness, Baekhyun blinks slowly, pulse quick. Chanyeol’s eyes drop—to his lips—and his breathing changes. Baekhyun doesn’t know who leans in first, but the warm brush of their noses send a shiver of want through him. At the first touch of their lips, the quiet search of their mouths as they find each other in the dark, he forgets to breathe. Chanyeol’s lips are impossibly soft. Baekhyun’s eyelids grow heavy and slide closed. The kiss is gentle, soft, slow. He lifts a hand to Chanyeol’s shoulder, then slides it behind his neck. His heart races and trips with the lap and lick of shallow kisses pressed to his lips.

 

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun murmurs when they break, noses touching. His fingers stroke Chanyeol’s nape. “Is this okay?”

 

Chanyeol searches his eyes, his answer quiet. “Yes. Are you…?”

 

Baekhyun nods, a smile on his lips. He swipes his tongue over them. “I’ve been wanting to do that since we met.”

 

“When I shifted on your front lawn?” Chanyeol’s eyes widen.

 

“No,” Baekhyun laughs, sliding his arms around Chanyeol’s shoulders. “When we met at Mr. Lee’s.”

 

“Oh.” Chanyeol lowers his eyes but Baekhyun can see that he’s pleased, if a bit bashful given the way he pulls his flushed lower lip between his teeth.

 

“I’m really sorry about today, Yeollie.” Baekhyun says and cards fingers through his hair. Chanyeol butts his head against Baekhyun‘s palm gently when his fingers pull away, causing Baekhyun to chuckle. 

 

“What’s funny?”

 

“You’re really the same in and out of rabbit form.”

 

“I hope that’s a good thing,” Chanyeol mumbles and hides a blush in the crook of Baekhyun’s neck, where he often curls up in rabbit form.

 

“It’s the best,” Baekhyun reassures, his heart doing an erratic dance in his chest as he buries a smile in Chanyeol’s soft hair.

  
  
  
  


———

 

Autumn descends with cold rain and bluster. Baekhyun grows accustomed to waking before Chanyeol, which disconcerts the groggy hybrid every morning he’s roused from sleep by Baekhyun’s gentle petting where he sleeps on his pillow in the crook of his neck. He scampers out of the room, shifts, throws on some clothes and rushes into the kitchen, hair a nest. Baekhyun makes excuses to run his fingers through it, oftentimes leading to other pleasing activities, like kisses that distract Chanyeol from making breakfast. A family of cereal boxes moves in over the fridge and Baekhyun is thrilled.

 

“Are you  _ hibernating _ ?” Baekhyun realizes one morning over a bowl of Frosted Flakes when Chanyeol was particularly hard to rouse.

 

Chanyeol looks startled, still not quite awake. “Kind of?”

 

Baekhyun blinks. “Would you normally sleep more in winter?”

 

Chanyeol purses his lips thoughtfully as he eats his cereal—a much healthier one than Baekhyun’s sugary choice.

 

“I could probably sleep all but a few hours in the afternoon,” he says, thinking aloud. “After you leave I keep myself busy to help stay awake.”

 

It’s yet another way in which their arrangement encroaches on Chanyeol’s freedom, and it weighs on Baekhyun’s mind as he goes through his day. When he shows up for his meeting with Kai, the upperclassman sees through him.

 

“Hyun!” Kai waves as he jogs down the hall at the international student center, flashing his million dollar smile. “Why the long face?”

 

“Hey.” Despite his heavy thoughts, Baekhyun smiles, the junior’s presence uplifting. “Just got a lot on my mind.”

 

“Why don’t we skip out of here and go eat instead?” Kai suggests. “My treat.”

 

“You don’t have to do that,” Baekhyun protests. He’s just as well off as Kai.

 

Kai shrugs and sticks his hands in the pockets of his gray pea coat. “I know. But I’d rather get out of here too. Been feeling cooped up—you know.” His smile is wry.

 

“Alright, fine. I won’t say no to food,” Baekhyun grins.

 

Since his conversation with Chanyeol he can’t help but watch Kai more closely. He lets Kai lead the way to a restaurant of his choice, one of few good barbecue joints, and they order a platter of beef and pork for the grill. Baekhyun watches as Kai takes his meat nearly rare, juices still dripping. He lets his own cook a while longer, unable to push Chanyeol’s warning from his mind.

 

“You wanna talk about it?” Kai offers. “I’m happy to listen. Is everything alright in your classes?”

 

“Yeah, it’s not school, it’s…” Baekhyun trails off and wonders how to bring it up, or if he even should.

 

“Relationship trouble?” Kai tries, with a twinkle in his eyes. 

 

Baekhyun clears his throat. “I guess you could say that.”

 

“Your roommate?” A teasing smile graces the junior’s lips.

 

Baekhyun swallows his beer too quickly and coughs. “Why would you say that?” His voice comes out strangled.

 

Kai shrugs and tops up their shot glasses with soju. “So you won’t mind if I invite him out for the ASA party next weekend ?”

 

“No—I mean, that’s—wait, yes,” Baekhyun stumbles over his words. “Why?”

 

Kai’s brows lift. “Why not?”

 

“He’s—“  _ Why not, indeed? _ Chanyeol should be free to make his own choices, and Baekhyun feels an odd mix of emotions, among them a familiar guilt, but possessiveness too. Chanyeol’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with Kai, though Baekhyun has seen no solid proof of his suspicions. 

 

“He has social anxiety. He doesn’t like crowds.” Baekhyun improvises, and it’s not a lie. Much like his hybrid form, he prefers safe enclosed spaces. And, he’d like to think, he prefers him to Kai.

 

“Hmm. Guess I’ll have to try the dinner and movie approach then.”

 

Baekhyun’s jaw drops. “You’re really interested in him?”

 

“Um, yeah. Was I not obvious enough?” Kai laughs, and Baekhyun spots a rare glow of bashfulness on his cheeks. Kai is nervous. He blinks to make sure he isn’t imagining it.

 

“Why?” is all he comes up with. “You met for like five minutes.”

 

“I guess it’s true what they say, love at first sight?” Kai chuckles. “I dunno, I just felt something for him the minute we met. Like an irresistible pull.”

 

Baekhyun knows the feeling. He felt it too. But he wonders if Kai’s motivations are all good. There is, after all, the small matter of him being a wolf.

 

Speaking of which, an idea springs to his mind.

 

“I was thinking of having a few friends over this Saturday, maybe you can feel things out with him then?” Saturday is the fourth, and the night of the full moon.

 

Kai’s face falls. “I can’t this Saturday.”

 

Baekhyun seizes his chance.

 

“I thought you were serious about him, I’m trying to help you out. Can you reschedule?”

 

“I—I would. But this is a medical thing I can’t get out of.”

 

“On a Saturday night?” Baekhyun pushes, knowing he’s bordering on insensitive at this point.

 

“Yeah.” Kai drops his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your offer.”

 

Baekhyun isn’t sure what to do with this information except apologize for being a jerk. 

 

“I’m sorry for prying.”

 

Kai accepts his apology with a half smile. “Hopefully one day I can tell you about it. But I don’t really have control of the situation right now.”

 

Baekhyun nods, suppressing a shiver, and pours them both another shot.

  
  
  
  


———

 

Baekhyun keeps his conversation with Kai to himself. Partly because he feels bad for trying to pull the truth out of him and partly because Kai admitted he’s not in control, and he doesn’t want to frighten Chanyeol by confirming his suspicions were right. But mostly it’s because he wants Chanyeol to himself. Their quiet mornings, their cozy nights, the uncanny way they finish one another’s sentences, the companionship—he can’t imagine giving that up to someone else.

 

But then comes the guilt. He knows it’s not fair, he’s not Chanyeol’s keeper—or at least he shouldn’t be. The fact that he is turns his stomach. He second guesses himself every time they touch, wondering if Chanyeol is reciprocating because he wants to, or because he feels he must. 

 

He begins to hold himself back, to distance himself, to only reach out if Chanyeol comes close, to only kiss him when Chanyeol leans in first, which becomes less and less, confirming his doubts.

 

What’s left is a ball of fluff asleep by his neck every night, and he learns to live with just that, letting Chanyeol sleep wherever and however he likes.

 

The weekend of Thanksgiving break, Chanyeol is sleeping so soundly when Baekhyun awakens that he leaves him on his pillow and tucks the covers around the small lump of fur.

 

Baekhyun fixes himself a bowl of cereal and stares out the window at the barren trees. The leaves have all changed and he feels a pang of homesickness. Back home, the trees would still have a little longer, even if just a few weeks. 

 

He pads downstairs and brings in the mail, sifting out his and Chanyeol’s separately. A festive package awaits Chanyeol, boasting stickers with birthday greetings from Mr. Lee. Baekhyun sits up straighter and pushes his bowl aside. Nothing on the package indicates the date, but if Chanyeol’s birthday is soon that means he’ll be eighteen—and free. Or would be if not for his farce of an adoption. Guilt strikes hard, as Baekhyun realizes the only thing standing between Chanyeol and his freedom is his own family.

 

He’s staring at the package when Chanyeol walks in, yawning and sleepy in droopy flannel pajamas that make him look small despite his size.

 

“You’re up,” Baekhyun rises from his chair and stands awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen.

 

“I’m sorry. Did you eat? Do you need anything? I should set an alarm,” Chanyeol apologizes, quickly taking his empty bowl and rinsing it in the sink.

 

This is what Chanyeol is stuck with. This is what his life will be for the next four years if Baekhyun’s parents stay on their housekeeper kick. And then? Baekhyun can’t imagine his parents honoring the adoption, and he can’t swallow the thought of Chanyeol being indentured to them for life.

 

It’s high time he took responsibility.

 

Baekhyun comes up behind Chanyeol at the sink, sliding his arms around his waist and resting his head between his shoulder blades and breathing him in. Wondering is he’ll have the chance again. The tall youth pauses and settles a hand over Baekhyun’s. 

 

“Hyunnie… are you okay?” His morning voice is a deep rumble. Baekhyun holds him tighter.

 

“Yeol, is it your birthday soon?”

 

“Yeah, on Monday. Well it’s my legal birthday, when Mr. Lee had me registered, but might not be my real birthday. I’ll probably never know that.”

 

“You’ll be eighteen?” Baekhyun asks.

 

Chanyeol nods.

 

“I want to do something special for you,” Baekhyun says. Even if he can’t be with him because it would be unfair to pressure him that way, the least he can do is be a good friend. 

 

“You don’t need to do that. It’s not a big deal.” Chanyeol slots the bowl in the dishwasher.

 

“A nice dinner or something, at least. Will you let me treat you?” Baekhyun hears the uncertainty in his own voice.

 

“Hyunnie.” Chanyeol turns and Baekhyun drops his arms and steps back. “What’s the matter?”

 

“Nothing. I just want to do something nice for you.” His voice wavers dangerously. He steps back and seeks refuge on the sofa, pulling a pillow into his lap as he takes a few shaky breaths to get a grip on his emotions. Chanyeol leaves the room to Baekhyun’s relief.

 

Baekhyun sends off a quick message to his mother, asking her to call as soon as she can. Then he buries his face in his hands, shoulders shaking as he tries not to cry. He doesn’t want to let go, but he can’t do this to Chanyeol anymore. It was unfair from the start, and he’s only made it worse. 

 

Something pushes his arm and he looks up. Chanyeol has shifted. The rabbit nudges at his elbow and hops between his arms on the pillow, looking up at him dolefully. Baekhyun stares at the sweet creature. His throat betrays him with a sob. 

 

This is the problem. This is his fault. 

 

Pushing both pillow and rabbit aside, he retreats to his bedroom with a slam of the door and curls up on his bed and cries it all out.

  
  
  


“Hi Mom,” Baekhyun croaks, when his phone rings sometime later.

 

“Baekhyunnie! Is everything alright?” 

 

“No, it’s not.” Baekhyun sniffles.

 

“Did Chanyeol do something?” She asks.

 

“No!” He nearly yells. “No. But it is about him. Can we—can we cancel the contract? The adoption, I mean?”

 

“Why now, Baek? Are you sure he didn’t do something?”

 

“No, Mom. I’m the one who’s done something. You have too, He’s like our servant, Mom. He can’t even quit if he wants to, because you adopted him. I can’t do this to him anymore.” His voice shakes, raw with emotion. “He’s a person with dreams and things he wants in his life and instead he’s our servant.”

 

“Oh, Baekhyunnie,” his mother sighs. “I didn’t ever intend for it to be like this. I though having him made you happy.”

 

“He does make me happy, but what about his happiness?”

 

“He chose to stay when we gave him a choice.”

 

“It should have never happened in the first place…” Baekhyun says glumly, rubbing a tear track from under his eye. “Maybe it made sense at the time, but—he has no life, Mom. He doesn’t speak the language, he doesn’t know anyone, he buys books and dreams about traveling the world, but he’s stuck making me dinner and washing my clothes. If it was a normal job, he could just quit if he wanted to. But he can’t because you adopted him—don’t you see?”

 

His mother exhales deeply. “I do,” she says at length and Baekhyun is relieved. “What would you like me to do?”

 

“Annul the adoption. Release him from his contract.”

 

“Okay. I’ll talk to Mr. Lee. Don’t worry, Baekhyunnie. We’ll make this right. Just focus on your studies, everything will be fine. Did your aunt invite you for Thanksgiving dinner by the way?’

 

“She did. I went for a little bit.”

 

“Good. I’ll let you know what happens, okay?”

 

“Thanks Mom.”

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun stays in his room for another few hours, until a light knock comes at the door. Swallowing hard, he sits up in bed.

 

“Come in,” he calls tentatively.

 

The door cracks open, and Chanyeol pads in, but stays by the door. “I went to the corner store,” he says nervously, and holds up a bag. Through the thin plastic Baekhyun can see a pint of fudge swirl ice cream. Chanyeol edges inside, and sets the pint and a spoon carefully on the bedside table. He stands and keeps his eyes down, shifting his weight awkwardly.

 

“I know you don’t want to talk. I hope this helps.” He takes a step back towards the door. “I’ll leave you alone.”

 

Baekhyun stares helplessly. “Chanyeol,” he says, and his voice sounds hoarse. “I’m sorry.”

 

A small furrow appears between Chanyeol’s brows. “What for?”

 

“For everything.” 

 

Chanyeol lifts his head and their eyes meet. Baekhyun’s heart feels heavy as his head.

 

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Chanyeol says. “If you don’t want my company, that’s okay.”

 

“I do,” Baekhyun whispers. “I just don’t know what to say.”

 

Chanyeol draws his lower lip between his teeth and hangs in the middle of the room.

 

“Hyun… you don’t have to say anything.” Chanyeol says. He shifts closer slowly, cautiously, and sits at the edge of the bed. “I’m worried about you. I want you to be okay. I promised your mother I’d look out for you.”

 

Baekhyun closes his eyes and swallows thickly.

 

“I’m okay. I just made a mistake that I need to fix. I feel like an idiot and a shitty person right now.”

 

“Hyun…” Chanyeol says softly. He draws his knees up, perching at the edge of the bed. “Can I help? A hug? Anything?”

 

Baekhyun nods, but only because Chanyeol’s offering. When the taller boy moves to sit beside him against the headboard and holds out his arms, Baekhyun leans into him. Chanyeol’s arms swallow him whole, and he wonders if this is how Chanyeol feels when he’s in rabbit form, fitting neatly in Baekhyun’s slim hands. His lungs shudder and he tears up again and Chanyeol holds him through it, rubbing his back. He falls asleep in his arms and wonders if it’ll be the last time.

  
  
  
  


———

 

Baekhyun wakes to a familiar soft warmth at his neck. He reaches up to pet Chanyeol, but instead of fur, his fingertips sink into thick wavy hair. He sucks a quick breath and slants his eyes down. Chanyeol is asleep at his side in human form, an arm around his middle and his head tucked against Baekhyun’s neck.

 

Baekhyun’s heart twists. He lets his hand sink into Chanyeol’s soft hair, and snakes his arm around his shoulders, bowing his head to press a kiss to the top of his head. Chanyeol stirs, coming to slowly, body warm and heavy against Baekhyun’s side. It’s entirely different from how they normally sleep, with Chanyeol a mere handful of fluff on his pillow. Baekhyun regrets the way that they met, the fact that they could never be together like this so long as Chanyeol is kept against his will.

 

“Hyunnie?” Chanyeol murmurs, and Baekhyun hums a response. “Are you feeling better?” He tilts his head back just enough to look up at him from his shoulder.

 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, voice scratchy and rough. He turns his head to check the time and sees a puddle of water under the ice cream carton. “I think the ice cream melted.”

 

“We can freeze it again.” Chanyeol murmurs, His response is surprising, Chanyeol is usually the first to be bothered by something like this. Instead he feels Chanyeol inch a bit closer and tighten his arm around him. His heart skips a beat and he shifts down the bed so he can meet his gaze. Chanyeol watches him quietly with dark, dewy eyes.

 

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun says softly. He drapes his arms around Chanyeol’s waist and feels the younger man scoot closer. His breath leaves his lungs in a rush when he feels Chanyeol’s nose rub against his. “Yeol—“ He whispers, and then Chanyeol’s lips touch his. He gives in too easily, a soft sound in his throat as he threads fingers in soft hair. Their lips touch and part, soft and tender and wanting. Warm airy brushes give way to full sanguine presses until one of them gives, then the other, tongues tasting, testing, flicking, licking their way inside.

 

Chanyeol’s hands slide around his back and a sound, half whimper, half want, wells in his throat. Baekhyun holds him tighter, the flame in his chest burning hotter. Chanyeol’s lips yield, soft, ready, and open. Baekhyun tugs the flesh between his teeth, sucking his upper lip as he dips his tongue into his mouth. Another soft sound escapes Chanyeol, this time a moan. He takes it right from his lips, mouths meeting hungrily, lapping and licking and biting, again and again until they rest breathless against one another, forehead to forehead. 

 

Baekhyun can feel Chanyeol’s pulse jumping under his palm at his neck. Cupping his cheek he rests a moment, just breathing and being. 

 

Baekhyun’s thoughts are a jumble, his heart is a mess. He shouldn’t be doing this. And yet when Chanyeol leans in for another kiss, he doesn’t deny him. They miss, bumping noses and laughing instead.

  
“Chanyeol, is this okay?” Baekhyun tucks a russet lock behind his ear, stroking the shell and watching Chanyeol shiver at the touch. 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If you’re sure…” Baekhyun mumbles, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Chanyeol could just be saying that because it’s his job. The thought turns Baekhyun’s stomach and he drops his eyes.

 

Chanyeol slides his arms around Baekhyun’s waist.

 

“I’m sorry I said my birthday didn’t matter. If it’s important to you, we can do something.”

 

Baekhyun tries to muster a smile. “Please. I would like to. You do so much for me...”

 

“Okay,” Chanyeol whispers and pulls him in close.

  
  
  


\------

 

**Mom:**

**Adoption and contract annulled. Do u want to tell him, or should I?**

 

**Me:**

**I will. I’m taking him out for dinner for his birthday. I’ll let him know then.**

  
  


Baekhyun drags himself out of bed on Monday, ill prepared for the task ahead. He’s tossed and turned enough in the night that Chanyeol has shifted to the other pillow to avoid getting squashed. He looks at the small ball of fawn fluff and his heart feels heavy and full all at once. He reaches over and drapes his fingers over the rabbit’s small back, petting him softly.

 

“Happy Birthday, Yeollie,” he whispers, so that he doesn’t rouse him if he isn’t ready to wake. Tugging the covers up around him, he pads silently out of the room and fixes himself breakfast and gets ready for class.

 

He has classes in both the morning and the afternoon, but he decides to skip his last one to come home early. He leaves a note for Chanyeol on the fridge with a smiley face and some hearts and a birthday greeting, and quietly slips out of the house.

 

He sees Kai at lunch and the junior seems tired and withdrawn, and doesn’t speak much of his Thanksgiving break. The sky is gray and bright, the cloud cover so thick it’s like it’s determined to blot out any happiness he might feel.

 

When he returns to the apartment in the late afternoon, Chanyeol’s door is ajar, and he spots him napping. The kitchen smells warmly of freshly baked sweets, and a tray of cookies cools on a rack. The apartment is spotless. Baekhyun takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He takes one of the cookies and stares out the window at the leafless trees on their street. The chocolate melts on his tongue and he thinks of the snow they’re due to get that night. Maybe they’ll catch snowflakes on their tongues. Maybe they’ll kiss.

 

Maybe it won’t mean anything anymore after Chanyeol leaves. 

 

Why would he stay, if he’s no longer bound?

 

Their dinner reservation isn’t until later, at a vegan restaurant Baekhyun’s taken care to pick out. He takes his time getting ready. He hasn’t dressed up for anyone or anything besides school for three months, and it feels both exciting and disingenuous to dress up now.

 

He settles for a smooth white chambray shirt that accentuates his shoulders. Simple black jeans and brown patent oxfords finish it off. He washes and styles his hair, parting it at one side and pushing his fingers through it to give it some texture and life. He spritzes on a cologne that’s warm with vanilla and amber. And yet when he stands in front of the mirror and looks at himself, he lets out a defeated breath and his shoulders sag.

 

He tells himself he’ll feel better once he’s told Chanyeol.

 

Hearing a stirring in the hall, he freezes, then Chanyeol’s tall silhouette fills the door.

 

“Hyunnie?” He yawns and blinks, squinting. “You look nice. Was there something important at school?”

 

Baekhyun wets his lips, ready to agree, to hide the fact that he came home early just to dress up for him. But the maudlin mood that he’s in lifts when Chanyeol takes a much longer look that he tries to be subtle about, ineffectively hiding his attention under long lashes.

 

Baekhyun bites his lower lip and shakes his head. “No, nothing at school.”

 

“Oh.” Chanyeol catches himself staring and leans off the doorframe, blinking quickly and looking askance. “I should get ready then too.”

 

When Chanyeol emerges from his room, Baekhyun is sitting at the kitchen table trying to read an assignment, but mostly he’s a ball of nerves and can’t stop swinging and shaking his foot. He stands up quickly when Chanyeol walks in, dressed in a pale blue sweater and narrow jeans under a knee-length gray pea coat. He’s done something different with his hair, it doesn’t fall in his eyes like usual and instead is combed back, the longer locks swept to one side.

 

Baekhyun only realizes he’s staring when a blush colors Chanyeol’s cheeks. He clears his throat and tears his eyes away.

 

“You look good yourself,” he tries to casually compliment, but his voice sounds strange even to himself. “Happy birthday, by the way. I didn’t get to wish you this morning.”

 

“Thank you,” Chanyeol drops his eyes and bites down on a smile. 

 

Baekhyun swings his coat onto his shoulders and buttons it up, tucking a scarf around his neck. As they stand by the door, he realizes one thing is missing.

 

“It’s going to snow a little tonight. You’ll want this.” He pulls an extra scarf from the rack and reaches up. Chanyeol bows his head so Baekhyun can drape it around his neck. His eyes glitter a little too brightly as Baekhyun carefully loops the soft fabric around his neck and ties a knot. To distract himself, Baekhyun grabs an extra pair of gloves and tucks them into Chanyeol’s pockets.

 

When they head out the door, Chanyeol slips his fingers into Baekhyun’s. They’re warm, even hot, compared to the chill of late fall, and Baekhyun curls his fingers around them and holds on tight.

 

“It’s so beautiful out,” Chanyeol says as they walk, tipping his head back to look at the clear black night that has blessed them, a sparkle of stars like diamond dust in the sky.

 

“It is,” Baekhyun agrees, and walks a little bit closer to Chanyeol’s side. They catch a cab at the main street, since the restaurant is a bit of a trek, and huddle together in the backseat.

 

“I hope you like the place. It’s all vegetarian, it’s their specialty.”

 

“What will you eat?”

 

Baekhyun chuckles. “I can eat veggies too, you know.”

 

“But will it be enough? You always eat meat.” Chanyeol looks worried. It’s one of the many things Baekhyun knows he’s accommodated, preparing meat dishes for him, even though he can’t eat them himself.

 

Baekhyun nods. “It’s not like back home, there are lots of other options here besides meat. My friend at school recommended it, she said it’s really good.”

 

Chanyeol looks unconvinced, so Baekhyun tilts his head onto his shoulder and nuzzles his shoulder. It’s a very Chanyeol thing to do, and he realizes it too late.

 

Chanyeol slips an arm around him and noses at his hair. “Thank you. It’s very thoughtful of you.”

 

Baekhyun smiles, thinking he’s done at least one thing right. When they reach the restaurant, it’s crowded and loud. Despite their reservation, it takes a while to get seated. Chanyeol stays close to Baekhyun the whole time. He takes Chanyeol’s hand and feels him squeeze it. When they’re finally seated, they’re between two couples, one at either side. 

 

Chanyeol sits very stiffly between them, looking warily at them from the corner of his eye.

 

“It’s too crowded...” Baekhyun reaches across the table to take Chanyeol’s hand. Chanyeol latches onto it and nods. Baekhyun flags down a waitress and asks if they have any tables that aren’t so tightly packed, or something in a corner. But there’s nothing available, unless they wait for an hour.

 

“Yeol,” Baekhyun says, turning back to him. “Why don’t we order and take it home and eat there?”

 

Chanyeol shakes his head. “We can stay, I’m okay.”

 

Baekhyun sighs. “Okay isn’t enough. I want you to enjoy yourself. I’m happy anywhere, so long as you are too. Is it okay if we get something to go?”

 

Chanyeol nods, and that’s that. They place takeaway orders and wait by the door. Once they receive their order, they head back out into the night, and hail a cab home.

 

At home they unpack the food and spread out all the containers on the coffee table. Chanyeol tries a little of everything, his eyes lighting up at all the unique flavors. Baekhyun’s heart feels fit to burst seeing him so happy.

 

“You take such good care of me,” Chanyeol says when they’ve finished eating and are sprawled on the couch. Baekhyun looks down at the head on his shoulder.

 

“You take good care of me, too,” he murmurs back.

 

“I have to, it’s my job,” Chanyeol protests. “You don’t have to, though.”

 

Baekhyun pauses and his heart skips a beat. It’s time to tell him. It’s time to let him go free.

 

“Chanyeol--about that.”

 

The hybrid lifts his head, hearing the change in his voice.

 

“You’re—I—I spoke with my mother. We both agreed to cancel the adoption and the contract. You’re free now, Yeol.”

 

Chanyeol is silent, his expression schooled.

 

“You can go where you like, be who you want to be.” Baekhyun continues nervously. “I convinced my mother I don’t need a housekeeper, I can manage. This—this should’ve never happened to you to begin with. It was unfair. We can get you a ticket to fly back home if you like, or help you settle in here. It’s your choice. I just don’t want you to be stuck because of an unfair arrangement.”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t speak. Every moment that passes has Baekhyun’s pulse jumping erratically.

 

“I’ll leave tomorrow,” he says at last, hushed voice breaking the silence. His eyes dart as if calculating his next steps in a rush.

 

“You don’t have to hurry,” Baekhyun quickly amends.

 

Chanyeol shakes his head quickly. “If I’m not working for you anymore—I should go.”

 

Baekhyun swallows down further protests and lamely nods. “Whatever you want,” he says emptily. He watches Chanyeol pick up after their dinner, and is too numb to help. He knows this is part of the deal, letting Chanyeol go means letting all of him go—setting his own wants and needs aside for once.

 

His eyes sting and a lone tear escapes down his cheek. He wipes it away with the back of his hand and crosses the room to stand behind Chanyeol.

 

“Yeol,” he says, and Chanyeol turns at the sink. His eyes are pink-rimmed. Baekhyun steps forward and slides his arms around Chanyeol’s waist, hiding his face in his back. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispers, trying not to break. “You’ll call me, right? Tell me how you are?”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t answer vocally, but he nods twice, turning off the faucet and wiping down the sink.

 

“I wish we hadn’t met this way,” Baekhyun breathes. Chanyeol turns in his arms and takes both of them gently, prising them off of his waist. Baekhyun stands on his own two feet and wavers but Chanyeol cups both of his hands in his own. 

 

“I’m glad we met at all,” Chanyeol says, and his voice is rough. “I’m going to miss you too, Hyun.”

 

Baekhyun looks up, and Chanyeol lifts a hand, thumbing another tear from his cheek. He holds Baekhyun’s face tenderly and slowly leans down and presses a soft kiss to his lips.

 

Baekhyun grips Chanyeol’s arms as he tilts his head up, their mouths meeting slow and soft. Not a kiss of passion and beginnings, but of endings, goodbyes.

 

That night, Baekhyun lays curled on his side in the dark, watching the snowfall through sheer curtained windows. His head and heart feel heavy. He promised himself he would do better after Mochi, be a better person, but he’s not sure he did. He’s given Chanyeol his freedom, but he doesn’t know how to fix the hole in his heart.

 

Chanyeol is late to join him, and he half expects that he won’t. When the door creaks on its hinge, he holds his breath. He waits for the rabbit to leap onto the covers beside him, but when a long shadow falls across him instead, he turns.

 

“Chanyeol,” he breathes, seeing the younger man standing by the bed in the dark.

 

“Can I—can I join you?” He sounds uncertain. Quickly, Baekhyun nods and moves over so that there’s room for another full-sized body on the bed. Chanyeol crawls under the covers and lays on his side, facing him.

 

“Hyun,” he whispers when they’ve both settled. Baekhyun feels Chanyeol search for his hands and pull them to his chest, clasped between his. He wishes it was more than his hands. He wishes his whole body could be held tight in those arms.

 

“What is it?” He whispers back. 

 

“I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done—you know that, right?” Chanyeol pauses “I don’t want you to ever think you did something wrong. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten to travel, or know what it’s like to have a true friend.”

 

Baekhyun is slower to accept that, but eventually he nods. 

 

“Do you think we’ll meet again?” Chanyeol whispers.

 

“I hope so,” Baekhyun whispers back, rubbing his thumb across Chanyeol’s knuckles.

 

“Hyun—”

 

“Mm?”

 

“Can I kiss you—one last time?”

 

Baekhyun wants to say  _ no, it shouldn’t be the last time _ .

 

“Yes,” he breathes instead, and prays that it isn’t.

  
  
  


\------

 

Parting is bittersweet. Baekhyun is all mother hen. He blames his mother and Chanyeol’s influence.

 

“You’ll keep in touch right? Call me when you get settled?” 

 

Chanyeol smiles and nods. “I will. I promise.” He waves his phone at Baekhyun. His bags are by the door, he owns a bit more than he used to before.

 

“My mother sent you the money right?” Baekhyun worries some more.

 

“Yes it’s in my account. Please give her my thanks again. You didn’t have to do that.”

 

Baekhyun steps closer and wraps his arms around Chanyeol. “We did.”

 

Chanyeol bows his head and places a kiss on his crown. “You’ve been too good to me, Hyunnie.”

 

_ Not good enough, _ Baekhyun thinks. He pulls back slightly and looks up, trying not to tear up because he has classes to get to and he doesn’t feel up to answering questions or fielding pitying looks.

 

“Text me. Call me. I want to hear from you. Please.”

 

“I will,” Chanyeol reassures him for the umpteenth time. He dips his head and presses a kiss to his brow. Baekhyun tilts his head up and draws him down to his lips, stealing an urgent kiss.

 

“Hyun—“ Chanyeol murmurs against his lips. “You should go so that you aren’t late. Call me if you need help with anything in the house?”

 

Baekhyun pulls back reluctantly and nods.

 

“I should let you go,” he says, and reaches up to cup Chanyeol’s cheek. Chanyeol nuzzles and butts his palm with his nose like he does in rabbit form. Baekhyun laughs, but it’s a sad sound. He’s going to miss Chanyeol. Both of him. All of him.

  
  
  


———

 

Baekhyun sits through his classes but it’s like he’s not really there. Hours pass and he doesn’t hear from Chanyeol. 

 

_ You’re not his keeper, _ he reminds himself, every time he stares at the empty SMS window and starts to type out a text. 

 

Chanyeol is free and he shouldn’t hold him back. Baekhyun will just have to learn to live with that.

 

To distract himself, he tags along with Kai and some friends from the ASA that night. He’s never been one to drink much, but he’s so distracted that he doesn’t pay mind to how much he puts back. When Kai tries to put him into a cab later that night, Baekhyun hangs onto his collar and tries to pull him into the car with him.

 

“I don’t want to be alone,” he slurs.

 

“Hyun, what’s going on?” Kai looks worried.

 

“Chanyeol is gone.” Baekhyun laments.

 

“Gone? What do you mean gone?”

 

“I let him go. He’s gone now. He’s free.”

 

“Hyun what are you talking about? Do you want to wait and drink some water first before heading home?”

 

Baekhyun shakes his head and slumps into the back seat defeatedly.

 

“Never mind. It’s nothing,” he mumbles. “You’re free to go after him now if you like.”

 

“O-oh.” Kai says. “Are you sure you can get home alright?”

 

Baekhyun sighs and leans against the car seat, closing his eyes. “I’m not drunk, I’m just stupid. Don’t be like me.”

 

Kai squeezes his shoulder, then carefully closes the door. “Get home safe, Hyun. Text me when you get there.”

 

Baekhyun nods and knocks out for the car ride. When he makes it to his apartment, it takes three tries to get the key in the lock, and he fumbles his way up the stairs.

 

“So stupid,” he mutters to himself with a sigh as he finally lets himself in. Tossing his coat and his keys and his bag, he finds his way to the bedroom where he crawls onto the covers and buries his face in the sheets.

 

“I miss you,” he says, and no one replies.

  
  
  


When several days pass with no word from Chanyeol, Baekhyun is ambivalent. It’s clear that Chanyeol doesn’t care that much about him now that he isn’t forced to be with him day in and day out. But Baekhyun can’t help but wonder—how he is, where he is, if he’s eating alright.

 

Bracing for a rejection, he dials his number between classes. 

 

The line goes straight to voicemail. 

 

A chill passes over Baekhyun’s skin. Chanyeol was always responsible about charging his phone.

 

But he could be sleeping, with a Do Not Disturb setting on, he reasons with himself. It’s nearing winter and now that he’s on his own, Chanyeol is probably keeping more comfortable hours. Not trying to run on human time to accommodate Baekhyun anymore.

 

He leaves a voicemail, asking Chanyeol how he is, telling him a dumb joke he heard, and asking him to call back when he gets a chance.

 

Another day passes without a response.

 

He doesn’t want to look desperate. But couldn’t Chanyeol even send him a text?

 

Maybe he really was just doing everything because it was his job. He often justified his actions saying he had promised his mother. He was required to act like he cared.

Baekhyun isn’t prideful, but he’s spent months feeling bad. And yet, after doing the right thing, he feels even worse. He doesn’t call again. Instead he sends a text.

 

**Yeollie—send me a text to let me know you’re okay? I’m worried about you.**

 

When night falls and he still hasn’t heard back, he can’t handle his nerves anymore. A thousand scenarios pop into his head, each worse than the last. Panic sets in, and he calls the only other person he knows whom Chanyeol has met.

 

“Pick up, pick up.” Baekhyun paces the room. It’s Friday night and he hasn’t heard from Chanyeol since he left three days prior.

 

“Hyun?” A groggy voice answers on the fourth ring. Kai doesn’t sound well.

 

“Kai. I think Chanyeol is missing.”

 

“Wha…?”

 

“I haven’t heard from him since Tuesday. He’s not picking up his phone. He hasn’t replied to my texts.”

 

“Did you guys break up or something?” The junior mumbles.

 

_ Why are you being so obtuse?  _ Baekhyun almost yells. “No. We weren’t together.”

 

“Oh,” Kai sounds confused. “I thought you were.” Baekhyun hears a bunch of shuffling, like bedsheets moving around, and then Kai’s voice comes back across the line. “One sec, Hyun, let me—wake up. I’ll call you right back, okay?”

 

Baekhyun hangs up and paces some more. He can’t sit around waiting. He changes into jeans and throws on several layers, with a big white hoodie on top. Pulling on a cap, he heads outside with his phone. 

 

He lost Chanyeol once and it took hours to find him—and that had been in the confines of his house. But how was he supposed to find him out here?

 

From his front step, he doesn’t know to go. He shivers in the cold. He calls his mother and asks if she’s heard from him. Negative. She tries Mr. Lee. He hasn’t either, and adds that he hasn’t seen any activity on Chanyeol’s credit card. 

 

Baekhyun’s heart is pounding by the time Kai calls back. 

 

“No one’s heard from him, Kai. His phone is dead. It’s going to voicemail. My messages are unread.”

 

“Have you called the police?” Kai asks, sounding a bit more alert now. 

 

“I—I can’t do that.” 

 

The police wouldn’t care about a lost hybrid, let alone an orphan and an immigrant at that. With his complicated visa situation, a brush with authorities could easily go bad.

 

“Hyun, the smartest thing you can do right now is report him missing.”

 

“No! You don’t understand. I can’t.”

 

“You’re not making any sense. If you want to find him, you’re going to need help.”

 

“Stop pretending like you don’t know!”

 

“What? Please, Hyun, calm down. Where are you, I’ll come meet you, okay?”

 

“I’m at home,” Baekhyun says and sits down on the front stoop. He pushes a hand up into his hair, tugging at it with nerves and frustration.

 

“Text me the address. I’ll be there soon.”

  
  
  


Baekhyun is pacing outside the house when the car pulls up out front. Kai emerges, bundling his coat around himself. 

 

“Why are you out here?” He asks with a shiver as he comes up the walk. “It’s freezing.”

 

“I know. I just couldn’t sit still anymore. I have a bad feeling, Kai. I’m so worried.” Baekhyun rambles. Kai puts an arm around his shoulders and pulls him inside.

 

“If you catch cold, you won’t find him any faster. Now why can’t we call the police?” He asks again, pulling Baekhyun down to sit on the sofa. 

 

“It’s… complicated.”

 

“Have you tried calling his parents? Anyone else who might know where he is?”

 

“He doesn’t have any,” Baekhyun says, morose.

 

“Oh,” says Kai, then again, slower. “Oh…” He swallows. “He’s a stray.”

 

“You knew what he was.” It isn’t a question.

 

“It was none of my business.”

 

“Kai,” Baekhyun levels with him. “Can you help me find him?”

 

Kai has never looked so uncertain as he does now. He wets his lips and won’t meet his eyes. He shakes his head, and mumbles something, more to himself than to Baekhyun.

 

“I can’t. I can’t do it.”

 

“Kai, I know what you are.” Baekhyun presses. “If you know… if you know how to find him. You have to help me out.”

 

“You don’t know what I am.” Kai’s eyes flash, haunted. “You don’t.”

 

“Chanyeol figured it out the first time you met. I’ve known for a while. Please, Kai, if there’s something—anything you can do. Please help.”

 

Baekhyun isn’t above pleading, and something in Kai’s face suggests that he knows something that Baekhyun doesn’t.

 

“I can…I can help tip off the police. That’s all.”

 

“Kai!” Baekhyun growls with frustration. “I can’t call the police! Chanyeol doesn’t speak English, he’s a orphaned hybrid in a foreign country who’s no longer a minor. If the police find him, it won’t go well for him! He’ll get deported—or—or who knows! If there’s something you can do, please tell me!”

 

Kai squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, holding his face in his hands. “No, no, no I can’t. I can’t! Baekhyun,” he picks up his head and his eyes are red, “the full moon is 48 hours away. I’m already feeling its effects. If I shift, I can probably find him. But I’m not supposed to! I’m not some domestic kitten or bunny—I’m a  _ wolf _ for fuck’s sake. There’s a reason I have to leave campus and go somewhere that I can’t hurt anyone, or myself, every moon. I told you I don’t have control over the situation—this is what I meant!”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes sting, and he feels hopeless and foolish.

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand how it works. All I know is if something’s happened to him, I can’t just do  _ nothing _ .”

 

Kai sits on the sofa and rests his arms on his knees, holding his head in his hands. “I want to do something, too. But it’s too dangerous. I could hurt you, or him, or anyone—” he shudders. 

 

Baekhyun sits down beside him and tries to think.

 

“In wolf form—how would you find him?”

 

“Scent. I’d be able to follow his trail. You know, hunt him.” Kai adds derisively.

 

Baekhyun rises from the sofa and walks down the hall to the bedroom Chanyeol rarely slept in. The day before he left, he’d been napping there though, and Baekhyun calls out to Kai to come join him.

 

“Is your sense of scent strong enough in human form?” He asks. “This was his bedroom. He slept here on Monday.”

 

Kai pulls on the sheet and lifts it to sniff. His brows furrow. “I recognize this scent,” he says and then pauses. “I smelled it outside.”

 

Baekhyun freezes. “You did?”

 

Kai shakes his head. “I’m not good at this in human form—it was probably a mistake.”

 

“If we go back outside can you track it down?”

 

“I can try. But I’m probably wrong.”

 

“No wait. I just remembered something,” Baekhyun searches for something on his phone. “Chanyeol was pretty heavily influenced by his animal nature. He always said it was stronger than human will. My old pet rabbit—whenever she got loose, we always found her somewhere close to the house.” He holds out his phone for Kai to read. “If Chanyeol is anything like typical rabbits, he could be close by.”

 

“Let’s give it a try then.”

 

They head back downstairs, this time armed with a flashlight. In the crisp night, Kai sniffs the air. 

 

“I still smell it,” he confirms, and Baekhyun’s heard thumps loudly. He follows Kai down the walk and into the street. They pass several houses, and hear a dog barking. As Kai approaches, the dog slinks back with a whine. 

 

“It’s getting stronger.” Kai says, grabbing his hand. They run down the block to a bus stop and stumble into the small shelter. “Here,” Kai breathes.

 

In one corner is a dark shapeless lump. Baekhyun steps closer, heart in his throat. The flashlight reveals a duffel, and next to it, a heap of clothes. He rifles through them and from the pocket of the coat, he pulls out Chanyeol’s phone. 

 

“These are his,” he whispers, eyes flashing up in terror. “These are his things. He—he shifted. Why would he do that?!” His voice rings with fear.

 

“He’s might be nearby. Take the clothes,” Kai instructs, and they rush from the shelter, Baekhyun clutching the sweater, jeans, and coat. Kai jogs then pauses, and does it again, each time stopping to sniff the air with narrowed eyes. 

 

“He’s here,” Kai says, “he’s close by. Give me the flashlight.” Baekhyun hands it off and Kai flips it on.

 

“Chanyeol?” He calls softly, as he begins searching an icy hedge. They follow it right up to the edge of a house, and Kai tilts the light down so that they don’t rouse the neighbors. Their feet crunch through frosted leaves, and then Kai drops down to all fours. 

 

“He’s here. Quick--help me with this.” 

 

Baekhyun holds the flashlight as Kai digs through some rubble. A flash of russet fur catches the light and Baekhyun holds his breath. As Kai moves away a plank, Baekhyun gets down on his knees beside him. There, curled in a corner, is Chanyeol, unmoving, not even reacting to the harsh light. Kai reaches out and Baekhyun stops him. Inching forward, he gingerly reaches for the rabbit. His fur is matted, and his temperature isn’t right. He’s so still Baekhyun isn’t even sure he’s alive.

 

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun’s voice breaks and his eyes blur with tears. Gently, he lifts the bunny and holds him to his chest. The creature barely moves.

 

“Kai,” he looks up, voice thick. “What do I do?”

 

Kai picks up the clothes he’s abandoned. “Let’s get his things and take him inside. I have a friend who’s in hybrid medicine—Hyoyeon—she’s been helping me out on the side.”

 

Baekhyun doesn’t take his eyes off the rabbit in his arms. Vaguely, he registers Kai making a phone call. On the sofa, he makes a small nest of Chanyeol’s clothes, but can’t bring himself to set him down. Holding him is the only way he can feel that Chanyeol is still alive.

 

When Kai’s friend arrives, Baekhyun offers her a mumbled greeting, barely lifting his eyes. Hyoyeon drops down to the sofa beside him. 

 

“What happened?” She asks, looking between Baekhyun and Kai.

 

“We found him outside,” says Kai. Hyoyeon’s brows rise.

 

“What was a domestic rabbit doing outside?”

 

“He’s a hybrid. He was in human form when he left.” Baekhyun finally looks up.

 

“Let me check him,” she says, and gestures for him to set Chanyeol down. He does so reluctantly, but can’t take his eyes off him.

 

Hyoyeon is gentle with him, though Chanyeol is barely responsive. “Can you tell me what happened? Why was he out?”

 

“He was leaving…because we decided to release him from his contract.”

 

Hyoyeon shoots him a quizzical look.

 

“My family adopted him as a companion and housekeeper when I came here for school,” Baekhyun mumbles miserably, avoiding Kai’s gaze. “But it wasn’t fair to him, so when he turned eighteen this week, we set him free. He left on Tuesday—I told him he didn’t have to rush, but he insisted.”

 

“Oh, baby,” she whispers plaintively to the rabbit, stroking his fur. “Why did you do that?” 

 

She looks up at Baekhyun with a sad look in her eyes. “He’s domestic. You can’t set domestic rabbits free in the wild. That’s as good as killing them.”

 

Baekhyun pales. He knows not to do that with pet rabbits, but Chanyeol isn’t just an animal.

 

“But—he’s a hybrid.”

 

“He’s half animal. He’s not a wild hare. He’s not grown up wild, so he won’t survive out there. If he left on Tuesday, it’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

 

“Why didn’t he say something?” Baekhyun whispers, dropping his face into his hands. Kai sits down beside him and squeezes his shoulders.

 

“That you’ll have to ask him yourself, if you get a chance.” Hyoyeon sits up, tucking the clothes around Chanyeol’s body. “He has no signs of injury which is good, but his vitals are low. He’s asleep, but it’s not just hibernation. He probably reacted to a high level of stress—rabbits are prone to anxiety, and a domestic in the wild wouldn’t know what to do. You’ll need to keep him hydrated and feed him small amounts when he comes to. If he doesn’t wake up by tomorrow let me know and I can show you where to get help.”

 

Baekhyun nods numbly, then frowns.

 

“If I get a chance?” He echoes, tearing his eyes from the rabbit to meet Hyoyeon’s.

 

“Trauma can affect a hybrid’s ability to shift. If they go feral, it can take a long time for them to shift again—if ever. They're a lot more prone to fight or flight than humans are. Being a prey animal, he's more prone to flight—hiding and protecting himself from threats.”

 

Baekhyun swallows hard. “Oh.”

 

Hyoyeon leaves him with instructions and her contact information. Baekhyun thanks her profusely before letting her out the door.

 

That leaves Kai, and the rabbit asleep on the sofa.

 

“I owe you one.” Baekhyun looks up into the Kai”s face. Dark shadows smudge beneath the hybrid’s eyes.

 

“Next time dinner’s on you,” Kai jokes half-heartedly, weary.

 

“I'm serious. If you ever need anything—”

 

“I know, Hyun.” Kai pulls him into a hug. “Take good care of him, okay? I expect him back in good health so I can ask him out on a date.”

 

“Stop teasing, I’m serious,” Baekhyun whines and pushes Kai to the door.

 

“Who says I’m not?” Kai grins before heading out.

  
  
  


\------

 

Baekhyun gets little sleep that night, constantly watching Chanyeol for any signs of distress. So long as he can see the rabbit breathing, he feels less anxious. As soon as he dozes off, he jolts awake and checks that Chanyeol is still alright. 

 

He does this for hours, until finally he wakes up in the morning in an uncomfortable slouch in the sofa, his eyes grainy and dry. Looking to the nestor clothes, his heart lurches into his throat as he finds it empty.

 

“Chanyeol!” He calls out, immediately panicked. He checks under the sofa and turns the whole living room upside down. The rabbit isn’t there.

 

“Chanyeol, where are you?” He calls, checking the rest of the flat. He’s not in the bathroom, or in his old bedroom. Baekhyun bursts into his own bedroom and stops short. There, in the center of the unmade bed, lies the tiny rabbit. Baekhyun heaves a huge sigh, and feels a pressure behind his eyes. He pads over to the bed and inches onto one side carefully , so as not to disturb him.

 

“Chanyeol,” he murmurs, resting his cheek on his arm as he reaches out to gently stroke his fur. “You gave me a fright.”

 

He waits for the rabbit to wake and butt his palm with his nose, but he doesn’t.

  
  
  


The weekend passes and Chanyeol finally takes water and food from his hands. He sleeps most of the time, though, and prefers to do so in Baekhyun’s bed. Baekhyun checks in with Hyoyeon regularly to make sure he’s alright.

 

“Just keep giving him TLC. It’s a good sign he’s eating and moving around.”

 

“He hasn’t responded to things I’ve said though...he used to do that, like he could still understand me when I talked to him, even in rabbit form.”

 

“It’ll take time. Baekhyun, have you considered what you’ll do if he never shifts back again?” Hyoyeon asks.

 

“I—no. Is that…”

 

“It’s a possibility. You should think about it, for your own sake. If he never shifts again, would you be able to handle it? Would you still love him? Would you continue to blame yourself?”

 

Baekhyun starts the week off with a heavy heart. After reassuring himself that Chanyeol would be fine, after watching the rabbit wake up long enough to eat and drink something, he heads to class. His thoughts continually return to Chanyeol. and it’s not a moment too soon when he’s able to escape and rush back home. 

 

He finds Chanyeol asleep on his bed and heaves a sigh of relief. The rabbit wakes while he’s doing homework that night, and he pulls him onto his chest as he lays on the couch, feeling his tiny heart beat.

 

“Chanyeol… I’m really sorry,” he says as he strokes his soft fur. “I don’t know how to fix this. I just want you to be okay. All I wanted was for you to be happy and free.”

 

He thinks it’s his imagination when he feels Chanyeol bump his palm with his nose.

 

“Yeollie?” His heart skips a beat, but then the rabbit turns to snuffle his shirt, as if he’s not heard or understood.

  
  
  


Days stretch into weeks. Baekhyun finally invests in some rabbit toys when he sees no sign of Chanyeol shifting again. He builds him a multi-level perch complete with hiding spaces, and makes him a bed. He invests in the best rabbit food. Chanyeol’s bedroom transforms into a rabbit’s paradise.

 

Yet every night without fail, Chanyeol hops up onto the spare pillow beside Baekhyun’s and falls asleep at his side.

 

His mother comes to visit over winter break, and they do Christmas with his aunt and uncle. Snow pummels Boston with a vengeance. Every day Chanyeol grows more playful and healthy though he still sleeps a lot.

 

“Baekhyun, are you really okay?” His mother asks the day before she’s due to leave. Chanyeol is hiding inside one of the toy shelters his mother has bought for him, skittering around under it on the kitchen floor.

 

“I’m okay,” Baekhyun replies as he picks up after their lunch and tidies the kitchen.

 

“Are you happy?” She asks.

 

Baekhyun loads the dishwasher. “I’ll get through this.”

 

“Will you, even if Chanyeol never returns to human form?”

 

Baekhyun sets his jaw. “I’ll still love him regardless. I’m going to keep him no matter what.”

 

“But have you forgiven yourself?”

 

Baekhyun doesn’t answer.

 

“I know you blame yourself for what happened to Mochi and it hurt you for years. I don’t want you to hurt like that again. Even though things didn’t work out as you thought, I’m proud of you for trying to do the right thing.” 

 

Baekhyun looks at his mother but can’t speak around the lump in his throat.

 

“You did well, Baekhyunnie,” she says and enfolds him in her arms. “Some things are just beyond our control.”

 

Baekhyun lifts his arms and hugs her back.

 

“Mom—“ he whispers. “I just wanted him to be happy, and look what I did.”

 

His mother rubs his back. “That’s how I feel every day, Baekhyunnie. It’s not easy loving someone, be they friend, child, or pet. You can only do what you think is best. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it’s a mistake. What’s important is that you learn, not that you beat yourself up for it with guilt.”

 

Baekhyun nods into her hair and wonders when he got to be taller than her.

 

“Mom, I’m going to keep him no matter what happens. If he ever turns back, can we keep him? Or adopt him? Or help him somehow? If he wants that...”

 

“Of course. We’ll do whatever he wants.”

  
  
  


\------

 

Baekhyun wakes to a wonderland of white beyond his windows. He closes his eyes and basks in his last day of vacation before classes start. His stomach grumbles and he remembers he’s out of cereal and rabbit food and he’ll have to go out in the snow to get both. He considers ordering online like Chanyeol used to, and wonders why he didn’t realize just how terrified of the outdoors Chanyeol was. He’d always seemed okay, if a bit wary, when they’d gone out together. 

 

Much as he thought he would learn to cook after Chanyeol left, in the two months since that fateful day, he hasn’t. He thinks of blueberry pancakes and a pang of nostalgia hits him hard, so much so he can smell them. His mother has headed home on an early flight, so she’s not there to dote on him anymore either. Maybe it’s time he learns to actually take care of himself, he thinks derisively.

 

He turns over under the blankets to check on Chanyeol, cracking open his eyes.

 

The rabbit isn’t on the pillow. Baekhyun pulls a hand from under the covers and feels the little dent where he sleeps. 

 

It’s cold.

 

Baekhyun frowns and sits up, checking under the blankets and pillows to see if Chanyeol is hiding or has burrowed inside them. But there’s no sign of him.

 

He flips back the covers and slides into his slippers, padding over to the door. Quietly he heads down the hall into the kitchen. A warm appetizing scent greets his nostrils and he looks at the stove. A pancake is grilling, a bowl of batter on the countertop. Baekhyun’s heart starts to pound so loudly he can’t help but shout over it.

 

“Chanyeol?” He yells. “Chanyeol are you here?” He turns down the hallway and runs facefirst into something warm, solid, and clad in flannel pajamas.

 

“Hyunnie.” 

 

Baekhyun looks up into a face he feared he’d never see again, soft licks of copper hair framing doe eyes, and he bursts into tears. He flings his arms around Chanyeol’s middle and hugs him so tightly he might crush his bones.

 

“Did I burn the pancakes?” Chanyeol questions, his voice softer than ever. “I’m a bit out of practice.”

 

“Yeol—“ Baekhyun chokes. “Why—how—“

 

Chanyeol’s arms come around him and swallow him whole. “You said you would keep me,” says Chanyeol, and nuzzles his hair. “I wasn’t afraid anymore.”


End file.
